Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail

Efforts to reform the U.S. campaign finance system typically focus on the corrupting influence of large contributions. Yet, as Raymond J. La Raja and Brian F. Schaffner argue, reforms aimed at cutting the flow of money into politics have unintentionally favored candidates with extreme ideological ag...

Volledige beschrijving

Bewaard in:
Bibliografische gegevens
Hoofdauteurs: La Raja, Raymond, Schaffner, Brian
Formaat: Online
Taal:Engels
Gepubliceerd in: University of Michigan Press 2021
Onderwerpen:
Online toegang:1006088
Tags: Voeg label toe
Geen labels, Wees de eerste die dit record labelt!
_version_ 1869527607491428352
author La Raja, Raymond
Schaffner, Brian
author_browse La Raja, Raymond
Schaffner, Brian
author_facet La Raja, Raymond
Schaffner, Brian
author_sort La Raja, Raymond
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description Efforts to reform the U.S. campaign finance system typically focus on the corrupting influence of large contributions. Yet, as Raymond J. La Raja and Brian F. Schaffner argue, reforms aimed at cutting the flow of money into politics have unintentionally favored candidates with extreme ideological agendas and, consequently, fostered political polarization. Drawing on data from 50 states and the U.S. Congress over 20 years, La Raja and Schaffner reveal that current rules allow wealthy ideological groups and donors to dominate the financing of political campaigns. In order to attract funding, candidates take uncompromising positions on key issues and, if elected, take their partisan views into the legislature. As a remedy, the authors propose that additional campaign money be channeled through party organizations—rather than directly to candidates—because these organizations tend to be less ideological than the activists who now provide the lion’s share of money to political candidates. Shifting campaign finance to parties would ease polarization by reducing the influence of “purist” donors with their rigid policy stances. La Raja and Schaffner conclude the book with policy recommendations for campaign finance in the United States. They are among the few non-libertarians who argue that less regulation, particularly for political parties, may in fact improve the democratic process.
format Online
id doab-20.500.12854ir-33895
institution Directory of Open Access Books
language eng
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher University of Michigan Press
publisherStr University of Michigan Press
record_format ojs
spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-338952025-03-12T20:57:24Z Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail La Raja, Raymond Schaffner, Brian Politics and government thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHF Elections and referenda / suffrage thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPL Political parties and party platforms Efforts to reform the U.S. campaign finance system typically focus on the corrupting influence of large contributions. Yet, as Raymond J. La Raja and Brian F. Schaffner argue, reforms aimed at cutting the flow of money into politics have unintentionally favored candidates with extreme ideological agendas and, consequently, fostered political polarization. Drawing on data from 50 states and the U.S. Congress over 20 years, La Raja and Schaffner reveal that current rules allow wealthy ideological groups and donors to dominate the financing of political campaigns. In order to attract funding, candidates take uncompromising positions on key issues and, if elected, take their partisan views into the legislature. As a remedy, the authors propose that additional campaign money be channeled through party organizations—rather than directly to candidates—because these organizations tend to be less ideological than the activists who now provide the lion’s share of money to political candidates. Shifting campaign finance to parties would ease polarization by reducing the influence of “purist” donors with their rigid policy stances. La Raja and Schaffner conclude the book with policy recommendations for campaign finance in the United States. They are among the few non-libertarians who argue that less regulation, particularly for political parties, may in fact improve the democratic process. 2021-02-10T12:58:18Z 2019-11-09 03:00:31 2020-04-01T09:37:14Z 2015 book 1006088 OCN: 1149167273 http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/24045 9780472072996;9780472052998 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/33895 eng open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/24045/1/1006088.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/24045/1/1006088.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/24045/1/1006088.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/24045/1/1006088.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/24045/1/1006088.pdf University of Michigan Press 10.3998/ump.13855466.0001.001 10.3998/ump.13855466.0001.001 b7359529-e5f7-4510-a59f-d7dafa1d4d17 9780472072996;9780472052998 209 Ann Arbor open access
spellingShingle Politics and government
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHF Elections and referenda / suffrage
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPL Political parties and party platforms
La Raja, Raymond
Schaffner, Brian
Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail
title Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail
title_full Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail
title_fullStr Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail
title_full_unstemmed Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail
title_short Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail
title_sort campaign finance and political polarization when purists prevail
topic Politics and government
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHF Elections and referenda / suffrage
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPL Political parties and party platforms
topic_facet Politics and government
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHF Elections and referenda / suffrage
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPL Political parties and party platforms
url 1006088
work_keys_str_mv AT larajaraymond campaignfinanceandpoliticalpolarizationwhenpuristsprevail
AT schaffnerbrian campaignfinanceandpoliticalpolarizationwhenpuristsprevail