LEADER 00000cam  2200325 i 4500 
001    18781510 
005    20151211113202.0 
008    150914s2015    miua     b    001 0 eng   
010    2015025150 
020    9780472072996|q(hardcover : alk. paper) 
020    9780472052998|q(pbk. : alk. paper) 
020    |z9780472121601|q(ebook) 
040    DLC|beng|erda|cDLC|dAS 
042    pcc 
050 00 JK1991|b.L28 2015 
082 00 324.7/8|223 
100 1  La Raja, Raymond J.,|d1965-|eauthor 
245 10 Campaign finance and political polarization :|bwhen 
       purists prevail /|cRaymond J. La Raja and Brian F. 
       Schaffner 
264  1 Ann Arbor :|bUniversity of Michigan Press,|c[2015] 
300    xvi, 192 pages :|billustrations ;|c23 cm 
336    text|2rdacontent 
337    unmediated|2rdamedia 
338    volume|2rdacarrier 
504    Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-180) and 
       index 
520    "Efforts to reform the U.S. campaign finance system 
       typically focus on the corrupting influence of large 
       contributions. Yet, as Raymond J. La Raja and Brian F. 
       Schaffner argue, reforms aimed at cutting the flow of 
       money into politics have unintentionally favored 
       candidates with extreme ideological agendas and, 
       consequently, fostered political polarization. Drawing on 
       data from 50 states and the U.S. Congress over 20 years, 
       La Raja and Schaffner reveal that current rules allow 
       wealthy ideological groups and donors to dominate the 
       financing of political campaigns. In order to attract 
       funding, candidates take uncompromising positions on key 
       issues and, if elected, take their partisan views into the
       legislature. As a remedy, the authors propose that 
       additional campaign money be channeled through party 
       organizations - rather than directly to candidates - 
       because these organizations tend to be less ideological 
       than the activists who now provide the lion's share of 
       money to political candidates. Shifting campaign finance 
       to parties would ease polarization by reducing the 
       influence of "purist" donors with their rigid policy 
       stances. La Raja and Schaffner conclude the book with 
       policy recommendations for campaign finance in the United 
       States. They are among the few non-libertarians who argue 
       that less regulation, particularly for political parties, 
       may in fact improve the democratic process"--|cProvided by
       publisher 
650  0 Campaign funds 
650  0 Polarization (Social sciences) 
700 1  Schaffner, Brian F.|q(Brian Frederick)|eauthor