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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

social identity, campaign contributions, presidential candidates, donation decisions

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Political Science

Abstract

A record number of individuals financially contributed to presidential candidates during the 2008 election cycle. Many academic researchers and pundits have speculated on why these individuals chose to participate in this manner, often asserting that donors likely anticipated a personal material or policy reward for their support. Others have suggested that social similarities between donor and candidate may have played an important role. Little research exists, however, on the impact that an individual’s affiliation with an “apolitical” social group can have on their contribution decisions. I use the term here to characterize a group whose primary purpose is something other than political in nature. For example, political actions are, arguably, a secondary decision for religious, business, ethnic, or gender groups. My findings suggest that such associations exert an important effect on an individual’s donation decisions and should be examined further in the future.

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