Clean Elections and Competition: Evidence from Connecticut Open Access

Abstract

Both scholars and the general public speculate whether corporate campaign contributions to incumbents harm challenger candidates and electoral competition. This paper investigates the effect of Connecticut's Citizen's Election Program (CEP) on electoral competitiveness. Using a synthetic control design with new financial and electoral data, I find that the CEP has not increased the percentage of contested incumbents and the percentage of challengers who win their elections in Connecticut's lower house. This suggests that reformers should consider other avenues outside campaign finance when attempting to increase electoral competition.

Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction............................................................................1

Section 2: The Literature on Public Financing and Competition............2

Section 3: Summary of the Citizens Election Program...........................4

Subsection 3.1: The Program...........................................4

Subsection 3.2: Effects of the Program...............................5

Section 4: Theory.................................................................6

Subsection 4.1: Before CEP.............................................7

 Subsection 4.2: Changes After the CEP...............................11

Subsection 4.3: Implications.............................................12 

Section 5: Empirical Strategy....................................................14

Subsection 5.1: Synthetic Control.......................................14

Subsection 5.2: Descriptive Investigation..............................19 

Section 6: Discussion...............................................................23 

Section 7: Conclusion..............................................................24

Section 8: Bibliography: Sources Cited..........................................25 

Section 9: Bibliography: Data Used..............................................27

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Political Science
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Political Science, General
Keyword	Synthetic Control Campaign Finance Clean Elections
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Clifford Carrubba, Emory University
Committee Members	Ruoxuan Xiong, Emory University Pablo Montagnes, Emory University

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