Outside Money Soft Money and Issue Advocacy in the 1998 Congressional Elections

by Magleby, David B.; Anglund, Sandra; Atkeson, Lonna Rae; Bowers, Michael; Cigler, Allan J.; Coveny, Anthony C.; Fackler, Tim; Frensley, Nathalie; Goodliffe, Jay; Gross, Donald A.; Herzik, Eric; Holt, Marianne; Jelen, Ted G.; Kunioka, Todd; McKee, Clyde; Mi

• ISBN13: 9780742500433
• ISBN10: 0742500438
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-02-09
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

What do you do if you'¬"re running for office and all of a sudden, a flood of campaign attack ads inundates you from sources unknown, unregulated, and with seemingly unlimited funding? Even supportive ads from such sources of '¬Soutside money'¬ can be problematic, as several Republican congressional candidates discovered the hard way during the '¬SOperation Breakout'¬ party soft money campaign against President Clinton during the 1998 election. Outside Money describes the nature and effect of such phenomena using information based on field research in 16 competitive congressional races, elite interviews with candidates and funders, and a network of campaign consultants and professional staffers. Offering the first systematic examination of the full range of campaign communications by interest groups (from direct mail to Internet) along with its analysis of soft money strategies and effects, Outside Money illustrates the shift to the '¬Sground war'¬ by parties and groups in 1998 and the relative success of issue-oriented Democratic strategies compared to character attacks by the Republicans. Election year 2000 is certain to contribute its own chapter to this story of the power of outside money in campaigns, and the challenge to electoral democracy it poses.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
The Expanded Role of Interest Groups and Political Parties in Competitive U.S. Congressional Elections	1	(16)
David B. Magleby
The Surge in Party Money in Competitive 1998 Congressional Elections	17	(24)
Marianne Holt
Interest-Group Election Ads	41	(22)
David B. Magleby
Outside Money and the Ground War in 1998	63	(14)
David B. Magleby
The 1998 Kansas Third Congressional District Race	77	(16)
Allan J. Cigler
The 1998 South Carolina Senate Race	93	(18)
Bill Moore
Danielle Vinson
The 1998 Nevada Senate Race	111	(24)
Tim Fackler
Nathalie Frensley
Eric Herzik
Ted G. Jelen
Todd Kunioka
Michael Bowers
The 1998 New Mexico Third Congressional District Race	135	(18)
Lonna Rae Atkeson
Anthony C. Coveny
The 1998 Connecticut Fifth Congressional District Race	153	(18)
Sandra Anglund
Clyde McKee
The 1998 Utah Second Congressional District Race	171	(16)
Jay Goodliffe
The 1998 Kentucky Senate and Sixth District Races	187	(24)
Donald A. Gross
Penny M. Miller
Conclusions and Implications	211	(18)
David B. Magleby
Index	229	(16)
About the Contributors	245