Traditionally political donating behavior has been explained using socio-demographic and socialization-based models. The dramatic increase in the number of donors between 2000 and 2008 and the virtual elimination of structural barriers that limited donating to a select few suggest that this explanation is no longer adequate. What differentiates individuals who donate from those who do not? To answer this question I expand the traditional funnel of causality to develop a theoretical model that integrates biological, psychological, political behavior, and rational choice approaches. Using five samples, three nationally representative and two population-based surveys collected in 1990 and 2008, I investigate each level of the new funnel of causality using empirical models. I find that the best predictors of political donating are personality and attitudes, with a small role of context in the form of direct contact from parties. This new model explains more of the variance in political donating than the traditional model, and represents the most theoretically and empirically complete models in the literature.
Dissertation
The American Donor: an Exploration of the Modern Individual Donor
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Summer 2013
DOI: 10.17077/etd.h3msqy99
Free to read and download, Open Access
Abstract
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The American Donor: an Exploration of the Modern Individual Donor
- Creators
- Amanda Marie Frost - University of Iowa
- Contributors
- Peter K. Hatemi (Advisor)Michael S. Lewis-Beck (Advisor)Tom W. Rice (Committee Member)Rose McDermott (Committee Member)Jason K. Clark (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Political Science
- Date degree season
- Summer 2013
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.h3msqy99
- Number of pages
- x, 232 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2013 Amanda Marie Frost
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- illustrations (some color)
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 210-232).
- Academic Unit
- Political Science
- Record Identifier
- 9983777259302771
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