Money, Partisanship and Power in Local Politics

This Element presents an analysis of campaign finance in city council elections in four midsize Massachusetts cities. It shows that while money does not determine local election outcomes it plays a gatekeeping role - especially for nonincumbents. Moreover, this money comes from a very unrepresentative segment of the electorate. Although elections in these cities are nonpartisan, individual donors and interest groups are sorted into networks that function like political parties. The Element also shows that donors tend to be substantially more liberal than city residents. This can lead cities to adopt policies that are at odds with the views and needs of cities' less-wealthy inhabitants, including racial minorities. Despite low financial stakes relative to national races, campaign finance in midsize city elections reflects and reinforces broader patterns of political inequality. The result is a campaign finance system that disadvantages city residents who lack the cues that exist in other elections.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. Money and elections in mid-sized cities; 2. Four mid-sized cities; 3. The candidates; 4. Donors; 5. Parties; 6. Interest groups; 7. Conclusions and implications; Acknowledgments; Bibliography.

Product details

• Authors: Robert G. (Clark University) Cuthbert Boatright, Boatright Robert G., Lane Cuthbert, Adam Eichen, Raymond J. La Raja, Rolfe Meredith
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.12.2025
• EAN: 9781009613712
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0961371-2
• No. of pages: 108
• Series: Elements in American Politics
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / General, Political structure & processes, Political leaders & leadership, Political structures: democracy, Political leaders and leadership, Political structures / systems: republics, Political structures / systems: democracy