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Pew 2002

Outside Money in the 2002 Congressional Elections

David B. Magleby, Principle Investigator
J. Quin Monson, Co-Investigator

Project Overview

The 2002 election was defined by its heavy reliance on soft money. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), which threatened to drastically change the way campaign money was raised and spent, was pending before Congress at the time. Early indications, particularly on the Republican side, suggested that all four campaign committees would far outpace the level of fundraising in the 2002 cycle compared to previous elections, in part because both parties believed that the 2002 elections would give them a real chance at a majority in both houses of Congress.

CSED used the methodology pioneered in our 1998 and 2000 studies to track soft money expenditures in 2002.  As in 1998 and 2000, most soft money was raised and spent in competitive races. CSED partnered with academics in those competitive districts to monitor and report on soft money. In 2002 CSED expanded the number of races it monitored and also studied several control races to provide a mode of comparison. 2002 was unique in that the dynamics of reapportionment and redistricting resulted in a surge in open seats and more competitive contests in the first election after redistricting. This study sought answers to several questions, including: What will be the criteria for allocating party money? To what extent will party committees invest in more marginal contests? Will party leaders play ideological favorites in the allocation process? All of these research questions speak to the broader institutional implications of our current mode of funding competitive contests, and 2002 provided an important laboratory to answer these questions.

Findings

Click here to download the monograph that was released at the press event held February 3, 2003 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Click here to view the press release about the event. The initial monograph was later published as a book by the Brookings Institution Press. Click here for more information.

Academics

Race Academic School
Arizona 1
Fred Solop Northern Arizona University
James I. Bowie Northern Arizona University
Arkansas Senate Jay Barth Hendrix College
Janine Parry University of Arkansas
Colorado 7 Daniel Smith University of Denver
Connecticut 5 Sandra Anglund University of Connecticut
Sarah Morehouse University of Connecticut
Iowa Senate, 1, 2, 3, 4 David Redlawsk University of Iowa
Art Sanders Drake Unversity
Indiana 2 John Roos University of Notre Dame
Christopher Rodriguez University of Notre Dame
Maryland 8 Owen Abbe University of Maryland
Mississippi 3 David Breaux Mississippi State University
Minnesota Senate & 2 William Flanigan University of Minnesota
Joanne Miller University of Minnesota
Jennifer WIlliams University of Minnesota
Nancy Zingale University of St. Thomas
Missouri Senate    Martha Kropf University of Missouri, Kansas City
Terry Jones University of Missouri, St. Louis
Matt McLaughlin University of Missouri, St. Louis
Dale Neuman University of Missouri, Kansas City
New Hampshire Senate & 1 J. Mark Wrighton University of New Hampshire
North Carolina 8 Eric Heberlig University of North Carolina, Charlotte
New Mexico 1 & 2 Lonna Rae Atkeson University of New Mexico
Nancy Carrillo University of New Mexico
Margaret C. Taulouse University of New Mexico
Pennsylvania 6 & 17 Stephen Medvic Franklin & Marshall College
Matthew Schousen Franklin & Marshall College
South Dakota Senate & At-large James Meader Augustana College
James Bart Augustana College
Utah 2 Kelly Patterson Brigham Young University

Control Races

Race Academic School
California 29
Drew Linzer University of California
David Meneffee-Libey Pomona College
Matt Muller Pomona College
Delaware Senate Joseph Pika University of Delaware
Michigan Senate Michael Traugott University of Michigan
Montana Senate & At-large Craig Wilson Montana State University, Billings
Pennsylvania 4 Chris Carman University of Pittsburgh