Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-06T12:00:31.331Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Candidate Perceptions of Political Party Campaign Activity in State Legislative Elections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Robert E. Hogan
Robert E. Hogan*
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article examines candidates' perceptions of political party services provided in state legislative campaigns using survey data from seven states in 1994. I find that candidates generally do not feel that party assistance is very helpful, although multivariate analyses show that this varies systematically with state context and district-level competition. The influence of campaign financing on candidate perceptions is particularly important. In districts where candidates spend similar amounts on their campaigns, candidates believe parties provide greater assistance. My findings suggest that parties target campaign services to candidates in the same way that they target financial contributions, focusing on districts where these resources are most likely to affect the election outcome.

Type
Research Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , Spring 2002 , pp. 66 - 85
Copyright
Copyright © Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agranoff, Robert. 1972. The New Style in Election Campaigns. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Holbrook Press.Google Scholar
Aldrich, John H. 1995. Why Parties? The Origin and Transformation of Party Politics in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bibby, John F. 1999. “State and Local Parties in a Candidate-Centered Age.” In American State and Local Politics: Directions for the 21st Century, eds. Weber, Ronald E. and Brace, Paul. New York: Chatham House.Google Scholar
Burrell, Barbara C. 1986. “Local Political Party Committees, Task Performance and Organizational Vitality.” Western Political Quarterly 39:48–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Citizens' Research Foundation. 1997. New Realities, New Thinking: Report of the Task Force on Campaign Finance Reform. Los Angeles: Citizens' Research Foundation.Google Scholar
Cotter, Cornelius P., Gibson, James L., Bibby, John F., and Huckshorn, Robert J.. 1984. Party Organizations in American Politics. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press.Google Scholar
Damore, David F., and Hansford, Thomas G.. 1999. “The Allocation of Party Controlled Campaign Resources in the House of Representatives, 1989-1996.” Political Research Quarterly 52:371–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ehrenhalt, Alan. 1991. The United States of Ambition: Politicians, Power and the Pursuit of Office. New York: Random House.Google Scholar
Epstein, Leon D. 1986. Political Parties in the American Mold. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar
Frendreis, John, and Gitelson, Alan. 1998. “Local Parties in the 1990s: Spokes in a Candidate-Centered Wheel.” In The State of the Political Parties, eds. Green, John C. and Shea, Daniel M.. 3rd ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.Google Scholar
Frendreis, John, Gitelson, Alan, Fleming, Gregory, and Layzell, Anne. 1994. “Local Political Parties and Legislative Races in 1992 and 1994.” In The State of the Political Parties, eds. Green, John C. and Shea, Daniel M.. 3rd ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.Google Scholar
Gibson, James L., Cotter, Cornelius P., Bibby, John F., and Huckshorn, Robert J.. 1983. “Assessing Party Organizational Strength.” American Journal of Political Science 27:193–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, James L., Frendreis, John P., and Vertz, Laura. 1989. “Party Dynamics in the 1980s: Change in County Party Organizational Strength, 1980-1984.” American Journal of Political Science 33:67–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gierzynski, Anthony. 1992. Legislative Party Campaign Committees in the American States. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press.Google Scholar
Gierzynski, Anthony, and Breaux, David A.. 1998. “The Financing Role of Parties.” In Campaign Finance in State Legislative Elections, eds. Thompson, Joel A. and Moncrief, Gary F.. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press.Google Scholar
Hamm, Keith E., and Moncrief, Gary F.. 1999. “Legislative Politics in the States.” In Politics in the American States, eds. Gray, Virginia, Hanson, Russell, and Jacob, Herbert. 7th ed. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press.Google Scholar
Herrnson, Paul S. 1988. Party Campaigning in the 1980s. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hershey, Marjorie Randon. 1984. Running for Office: The Political Education of Campaigners. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House.Google Scholar
Holbrook, Thomas M., and Dunk, Emily Van. 1993. “Electoral Competition in the American States.” American Political Science Review 87:955–962.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobson, Gary C. 1985-86. “Party Organization and Distribution of Campaign Resources: Republicans and Democrats in 1982.” Political Science Quarterly 100:603–625.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jewell, Malcolm E., and Breaux, David A.. 1988. “The Effect of Incumbency on State Legislative Elections.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 13:495–514.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jewell, Malcolm E., and Morehouse, Sarah M.. 2001. Political Parties and Elections in American States. 4th ed. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press.Google Scholar
Kazee, Thomas A. 1980. “The Decision to Run for the U.S. Congress: Challenger Attitudes in the 1970s.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 5:79–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kazee, Thomas A., and Thornberry, Mary C.. 1990. “Where's the Party? Congressional Candidate Recruitment and American Party Organization.” Western Political Quarterly 43:61–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kingdon, John W. 1968. Candidates for Office: Beliefs and Strategies. New York: Random House.Google Scholar
Magleby, David B. 2000. Outside Money: Soft Money and Issue Advocacy in the 1998 Congressional Elections. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.Google Scholar
Mayhew, David R. 1986. Placing Parties in American Politics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meneffe-Libey, David. 2000. The Triumph of Campaign-Centered Politics. New York: Chatham House.Google Scholar
Price, David E. 1984. Bringing Back the Parties. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press.Google Scholar
Reichley, A. James. 1992. The Life of the Parties: A History of American Political Parties. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Rosenthal, Cindy Simon. 1995. “New Party or Campaign Bank Account? Explaining the Rise of State Legislative Campaign Committees.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 20:249–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salmore, Stephen A., and Salmore, Barbara G.. 1985. Candidates, Parties, and Campaigns: Electoral Politics in America. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press.Google Scholar
Schlesinger, Joseph A. 1985. “The New American Political Party.” American Political Science Review 79:1152–1169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Squire, Peverill. 2000. “Uncontested Seats in State Legislative Elections.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 25:131–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wattenberg, Martin P. 1990. The Decline of American Political Parties, 1952-1988. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar