The Effects of Campaign Spending on Gubernatorial Elections

Basden, Sarah

The Effects of Campaign Spending on Gubernatorial Elections

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/48695

Author(s)

Basden, Sarah

Date Issued

April 10, 2019

Abstract

Campaign finance has been an important part of elections since campaigns began. Spending money to get more votes has been a common thread through virtually every election in U.S. politics. In a capitalist world in which money means power, it is unfortunate that money also means political power. Shown in previous studies, more money typically means higher rates of election. In this study, I will be analyzing the spending data of the 2018 Midterm Gubernatorial Elections’ on the part of the top candidates to find a common relationship between dollars spent and points won and to test how much this rule truly applies. My main objective is to examine and discuss the prevalence of money in politics and how it affects election outcomes in a political climate that is increasingly corporation and wealth minded.

Major

Political Science

First Reader(s)

Callen, Zachary A.