Do Small Donors Improve Representation? Some Answers from Recent Gubernatorial and State Legislative Elections

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This is the second paper from a multi-year, multi-state Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) research effort known as "The CFI Small Donor Project". The full project involves surveys of candidates in six states, survey of donors and non-donors in seven states, and data analysis of individual contribution records from these jurisdictions and others. This paper presents preliminary findings from the first large-scale survey of private individual contributors to gubernatorial and state legislative election campaigns. We find that the policy views and priorities of small donors sometimes correspond more closely with those who give no money than do the views and priorities of large donors. We also find that large donors are more likely to give for reasons related to particularistic material concerns, particularly business concerns. These particularistic motives also carry over into the large donors ’ policy communications with lawmakers and staffs.