The Influence of Campaign Contributions in State Legislatures

Lynda Powell has set out to understand how campaign contributions affect the legislative process. Perhaps surprisingly, scholars have not been able to show this effect of money on politics. Powell provides a strong and clear answer. She does so by first developing a theory of campaigning and legislating. She then tests resulting hypotheses to show: that financing matters; the more money, the more the influence; and that influence is of the 'pay to play' sort. The result is a very fine piece of serious scientific research that speaks to an important set of issues of direct concern to the public." — John Aldrich, Duke University

"Lynda Powell combines theoretical clarity with unique empirical data to offer the most rigorous case yet for the widespread but difficult-to-document idea that campaign money influences public policy. This book represents a major step forward in the study of campaign finance effects and deserves a wide readership." — Gary Jacobson, University of California, San Diego

"By moving beyond analyses of roll call votes to instead ask lawmakers themselves how money affects the full range of legislative behaviors—from authoring bills to killing them quietly—Powell makes a methodological contribution that can help change the normative debate. Anyone who cares about state politics or national campaign finance reform needs to read this book's potent new findings." — Thad Kousser, University of California, San Diego

"[T]his is excellent research and an important contribution to the literatures on campaign finance and state legislatures." — Political Science Quarterly