This book takes readers beyond the hyperbole. It is an impressive early analysis of some of the ways in which these new organizations are, and are not, changing American politics. Specialists will be returning to the books themes for years. They will want to read Dowling and Miller before doing so.
Michael J. Malbin,
The Campaign Finance Institute and University at Albany, SUNY
The rise of Super PACs is a monumental development with wide-ranging implications for the future of American democracy. Yet, until the publication of Super PAC!, very little was known about how Super PACs operate, and the influence that Super PACs have had on public opinion and voting behavior. Conor M. Dowling and Michael G. Miller fill this void by writing what can only be described as a pioneering and must-read book for all who care about campaign finance, organized interests, and U.S. elections.
Peter L. Francia,
East Carolina University
Super PAC!
Recent federal court activity has dramatically changed the regulatory environment of campaign finance in the United States. Since 2010, the judiciary has decided that corporations and labor unions may freely spend in American elections, and that so-called super PACs can accept unlimited contributions from private citizens for the purpose of buying election advertising.
Despite the potential for such unregulated contributions to dramatically alter the conduct of campaigns, little is known about where super PACs get their money, where they spend it, or how their message compares with other political groups. Moreover, we know almost nothing about whether individual citizens even notice super PACs, or whether they distinguish between super PAC activity and political activity by other political groups.
This book addresses those questions. Using campaign finance data, election returns, advertising archives, a public opinion survey, and survey experiments, Super PAC! provides unprecedented insight into the behavior of these organizations, and how they affect public opinion and voting behavior. The first in-depth exploration of the topic, this book will make significant contributions in both political science and applied policy.
Conor M. Dowling is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Mississippi.
Michael G. Miller is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois, Springfield.
Routledge Research in American Politics and Governance
1 Lobbying the New President
Interests in Transition
Heath Brown
2 Religion, Race, and Barack Obamas New Democratic Pluralism
Gastn Espinosa
3 Direct Democracy in the United States
Petitioners as a Reflection of Society
Edited by Shauna Reilly and Ryan M. Yonk
4 American Exceptionalism in the Age of Obama
Stephen Brooks
5 An Empire of Ideals
The Chimeric Imagination of Ronald Reagan
Justin D. Garrison
6 Resisting Injustice and the Feminist Ethics of Care in the Age of Obama
Suddenly,... All the Truth Was Coming Out
David A. J. Richards
7 Interfaith Advocacy
The Role of Religious Coalitions in the Political Process
Katherine E. Knutson
8 Social Contract Theory in American Jurisprudence
Too Much Liberty and Too Much Authority
Thomas R. Pope
9 Voting and Migration Patterns in the U.S.
George Hawley
10 Democracy, Intelligent Design, and Evolution
Science for Citizenship
Susan P. Liebell
11 Inventive Politicians and Ethnic Ascent in American Politics
The Uphill Elections of Italians and Mexicans to the U.S. Congress
Miriam Jimnez
12 Competitive Elections and Democracy in America
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Heather K. Evans
13 Gender, Race, and Office Holding in the United States
Representation at the Intersections
Becki Scola
14 The Latino Gender Gap in U.S. Politics
Christina E. Bejarano
15 Perspectives on Presidential Leadership
An International View of the White House
Edited by Michael Patrick Cullinane and Clare Frances Elliott
16 Super PAC!
Money, Elections, and Voters after Citizens United
Conor M. Dowling and Michael G. Miller
First published 2014
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
2014 Taylor & Francis
The right of Conor M. Dowling and Michael G. Miller to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dowling, Conor M.
Super Pac! : money, elections, and voters after citizens united / Conor M. Dowling, Michael G. Miller.
pages cm. (Routledge research in American politics and governance ; 16)
1.Campaign fundsUnited States.2.Campaign fundsLaw and legislationUnited States.3.Political action committeesUnited States.4.Political action committeesUnited StatesPublic opinion.5.United StatesPolitics and government.I.Miller, Michael Gerald.II.Title.
JK1991.D685 2014
324'.40973dc23
2013044560
ISBN: 978-0-415-83302-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-50907-4 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon LT
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
To Our Families
Contents
In a way, this book was born at Millers Pub (unfortunately, no relation to Miller the author) in Chicago, coincidentally around the same time the Citizens United case began its odyssey through the federal courts. Political scientists tend to congregate at Millers every April during the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, and that is where we met for the first time, in 2008. Our professional and personal interests were oddly similar, and we resolved that day to always be working on something together. We have kept that promise and have met at Millers every April since. So long as the MPSA meets in Chicago, we will be found there each spring, planning our next year. We thank the friendly staff of Millers for accommodating us through the years as many of the ideas in this book took root at their bar, and for introducing us to the joy of smelt as a food.
We jointly incurred many debts in writing this book, and several individuals and organizations deserve special recognition for their support of our work. Peter Francia read several of our chapters and provided many helpful comments. His help was crucial as we navigated the sometimes byzantine landscape of campaign finance regulations, and he graciously provided feedback on tight deadlines. We want to thank him especially, as he truly went above and beyond.
Parts of the book appeared as a paper at the 2010 annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association. We thank Scott Desposato for improving that paper (which subsequently became part of Chapter 4) in his capacity as discussant at that meeting. We also benefittedeither separately or collectivelyfrom productive conversations with Adam Brown, Alan Gerber, Mike Henderson, Seth Hill, Greg Huber, Jonathan Krasno, Ray La Raja, Adam Seth Levine, Michael Malbin, Walter Mebane, Christopher Mooney, David Racine, John Transue, and Jon Winburn. David Doherty has long been a good friend and colleague to us both, and deserves special recognition for his insight and willingness to tell us when we are wrong. Chanse Travis and Logan Woods proved to be capable research assistants; we appreciate their attention to detail and their patience with us. Our colleagues at the University of Illinois, Springfield and the University of Mississippi have provided substantial support at the early stage of our careers, and we are most thankful for it. Two anonymous reviewers were also integral to the direction of the project, and we thank them for their feedback. Finally, at Routledge, we thank Darcy Bullock and Natalja Mortensen for their early belief in the project, and their patience with us during the process.
