Authors Meet Critics: Who Donates in Campaigns?

Session Submission Type: Author meet critics

Session Description

David Magleby, Jay Goodliffe, and Joe Olsen recently completed a book on donors to presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

While much is known about who votes in American elections, much less is known about who donates.  With unprecedented cooperation from the Obama, McCain, and Romney campaigns, this new book investigates donors to presidential campaigns, including previously unreported donors giving small amounts. Donors give because of the campaign message and candidate appeal or their dislike of the opponent.  Using social media and email to solicit contributions, and the Internet to receive funds, the Obama campaign attracted large numbers of new donors. Over half of Obama donors were women; Obama donors were also younger, less affluent, and more diverse than McCain or Romney donors were. Temporally, donations spike just before FEC reporting deadlines and just after key campaign events. The book also discusses the Sanders and Trump campaigns of 2016, both of which had success with small donors and made extensive use of email, social media and the Internet.
Panel Chair: Clifford Brown, Union College, brownc@union.edu
Panel participants:
John Aldrich, Duke University
Anne Baker, Santa Clara University
Peter Francia, East Carolina University
Jay Goodliffe, Brigham Young University 
David B. Magleby, Brigham Young University 
Costas Panagopoulos, Northeastern University  

Sub Unit

• DIVISION 36: Elections and Voting Behavior

Chair

• Clifford W. Brown

Presenters

• David B. Magleby Brigham Young University

• Jay Goodliffe Brigham Young University

• John H. Aldrich Duke University

• Costas Panagopoulos Northeastern University

• Peter L. Francia East Carolina University

• Anne E. Baker Santa Clara University