Date of Award:

12-2021

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Political Science

Committee Chair(s)

Michael Lyons

Committee

Michael Lyons

Committee

Debra Monson

Committee

Damon Cann

Abstract

While individual citizens are the biggest source of campaign fundraising in Senate and House elections, previous research has focused on individuals donating over the reporting limit of $200. The Federal Elections Committee now makes available data on individuals who donate less than $200, and as these donors take on a bigger role in congressional fundraising, a new analysis of donor motivations is needed. This thesis investigates if and how candidate ideology is related to amount contributed. Specifically, I ask whether the dollar amount of contributions changes depending on how conservative or liberal a candidate is. These results have important implications for campaign financing reforms and for candidate positioning strategies.

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