Explaining Contributions: Rational Contributors and the Elections for the 71st Texas House

Because the rules and structures that affect policy making differ greatly from one state legislature to the next, the dynamics of contributing to the candidates may differ in corresponding ways. Contributors presumably make rational decisions about what investments will gain them influence. Although there is some evidence about rational contributing in Congress, there is little evidence to date at the state legislative level. Here we explore the contribution patterns in races for the Texas House of Representatives, with its highly centralized power structure, and offer compelling evidence that contributors are rational in deciding to invest their money in the most powerful members rather than in committee chairs, as they do in systems with dispersed power such as the U.S. Congress.