Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
12-2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Dr. Paul Jorgensen
Second Advisor
Dr. Daniel Chomsky
Third Advisor
Dr. Natasha Altema-McNeely
Abstract
In this thesis, I argue how money influences election outcomes in the Texas Legislature from 2010 to 2018. I explore the political history of Texas, where scholars have long alluded to the role of wealthy elites in the political process. Using an investment theory approach, where money is considered a powerful determinant in elections over other factors, this thesis will analyze total disbursements and vote totals of Texas senate and house candidates in a linear model. Along with this bivariate correlation, this thesis will conduct a multilevel analysis that includes partisanship and regions in Texas. This thesis found a strong relationship between money and election results in the Texas Legislature, adding to campaign finance scholarship that found similar results in the United States and France. Overall, these findings confirm the strong role of money in politics and how Democrats are showing signs of being competitive in the Lone Star State.
Recommended Citation
Arias, Jacqueline J., "When It Comes to Money in Elections, It Doesn't Matter Which Paris You Live In" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 612.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/612
Comments
Copyright 2020 Jacqueline Arias. All Rights Reserved.
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