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Pew 2004

Assessing the Impact of Campaign Finance Reform

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

Project Overview

In the 2004 election cycle, CSED systematically monitored the impact of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) on federal elections by collecting data on the type and volume of campaign spending and campaign communications that fall outside of federal regulation. Past CSED studies provide an important baseline against which to compare BCRA, the new campaign finance law. CSED partnered with other institutions to further study specific federal races in several states. Building upon extensive prior research and a proven methodology, CSED assessed the following key questions: Does the BCRA ban on soft money appreciably reduce the role played by large donors in federal elections? Is there a shift from soft money electioneering to issue advocacy electioneering as a result of BCRA? Is there a substantial growth in interest group ground war activities? If so, is this a result of BCRA? Is there a substantial reduction in party funded ground war activities? Our research design permitted us to answer several additional questions like the extent to which disclosure by interest groups to the IRS is working, the extent to which broadcast and cable stations provide disclosure of groups doing issue advocacy, and whether candidate disclaimers imbedded in ads make a difference. All of these questions relate to the health and vitality of our current electoral system.

Findings

Click here to download the monograph that was released at our press event on February 7, 2005 in Washington, D.C. The monograph was later published as a book by the Brookings Institution Press. Click here for more information.

Academics

Race Academic School
Alaska Senate
Carl Shepro University of Alaska, Anchorage
Clive Thomas University of Alaska, Southeast
Arizona 1
Fred Solop Northern Arizona University
Colorado Senate & 7  
 Kyle Saunders Colorado State University, Ft. Collins
Robert Duffy Colorado State University, Ft. Collins
Florida Senate & Presidential
 Bob Crew Florida State University
Terri Fine University of Centeral Florida
David Niven Florida Atlantic University
Susan Macmanus University of South Florida
Georgia 12
Charles Bullock University of Georgia
Iowa Presidential
Art Sanders Drake Unversity
Kansas 3
Allan Cigler University of Kansas
Missouri Presidential
 Martha Kropf University of Missouri, Kansas City
Terry Jones University of Missouri, St. Louis
North Carolina Senate & Presidential
 Eric Heberlig University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Steve Greene North Carolina State University
New Mexico 1 & Presidential
Lonna Rae Atkeson University of New Mexico
Ohio Presidential




 John Green University of Akron
Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics
Michael Margolis
University of Cincinnati
Steve Mockabee
University of Cincinnati
Oklahoma Senate
Keith Gaddie University of Oklahoma

South Dakota Senate & At-large

Elizabeth (Betty) Smith University of South Dakota
Rich Braunstein University of South Dakota
Texas 32
 Matthew Wilson Southern Methodist University
Utah 2
Gary Bryner Brigham Young University
Steve Roberds Southern Utah University