Concerns that political donations secure preferential treatment from lawmakers have long been debated. However, assessing their effects on policy maker behavior has proven difficult due to ethical constraints and correlational data.

Data & Methods:

A randomized field experiment involving 191 congressional offices tested whether campaign donors could gain meeting access through contributions. The political organization attempted meetings with prospective attendees who were campaign contributors in districts across the US.

Key Finding: $250M Impact:

When informed that attendees were political donors, senior policy makers made themselves available 3-4 times more often than usual.

Why It Matters:

These findings underscore concerns about Supreme Court decisions deregulating campaign finance post-Citizens United. The results suggest donation networks may bypass traditional vote-for-service incentives.