ABSTRACT
Campaign contributions are one of the most visible tools interest groups have to achieve their policy goals. Studies show that making donations can be a successful strategy for groups that want to (1) elect candidates supportive of their issue positions, (2) gain access to members of the legislature, or (3) increase the amount of effort that legislators put forth on their behalf. However, evidence connecting money and the voting behavior of members of legislatures has been more ambiguous. Some find that contributions have a significant impact, whereas others find no direct effets
The primary reason our findings are so ambiguous is because we assume that all votes are created equal in the eyes of interest groups. But, if the theory developed here is correct, all votes are not equal. Therefore, we must account for the political context within which voting occurs, because only then will we find that some votes are worth more to interest groups than others and/or are less costly to legislators. It is on those votes that contributions will be given as an appropriate reciprocal exchange for contributions.
