Within the headquarters of the nation’s dominant political parties are employees with one primary task: to call corporate lobbyists and request donations for the upcoming election cycle. The 2023–2024 cycle saw unprecedented contributions from high-capacity donors such as corporations and billionaires. SpaceX, an aerospace engineering company founded and led by Elon Musk, donated $288 million… Read more »
Tag: campaign
How National Politics Are Reshaping Local Elections: Lessons from Indianapolis
Image from the 2023 Indianapolis Mayoral Debate, Joe Hogsett (D) (left), Jefferson Shreve (R) (right) When you think about a local election, such as your city’s mayoral race, you might expect candidates to focus on fixing potholes, improving public transportation, or making neighborhoods safer. But increasingly, local campaigns are starting to sound more like national… Read more »
Political campaigns are getting nastier, and it is hurting our democracy
The effects of political polarization are felt at a national level every time news of a new riot makes it into mainstream media coverage. Taylor Longhitano sought to discover whether polarization is being fueled in state politics as well by studying campaign ads for gubernatorial elections in Illinois. Findings show that not only are campaigns… Read more »