Campaign finance and perceptions of interest group influence in Australia
File version
Author(s)
Wynter, Thomas
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract
Comparative studies routinely demonstrate that Australia underperforms relative to other established democracies on measures of campaign finance integrity and the role of money in politics. Scandals relating to the influence of political donations have affected both major parties in recent elections, and record numbers of Australians believe that the government is run for a few big interests. Previous studies have focused on the problems of Australian political financing arrangements, and reforms at the state level, but little is known about public perceptions of the influence of money in politics in Australia. This paper examines these perceptions with data from the Australian Election Study covering elections from 1990 to 2016. Using multilevel modelling we investigate the role of election level and individual level characteristics on perceptions of the influence of major interest groups in Australian politics. We find that when the Liberal-National Coalition is in government, there is greater concern over the role of big interests in politics. At the individual level, we find that partisanship, ideology, being an electoral winner or loser, and economic evaluations affect citizens’ perceptions of interest group influence.
Journal Title
Political Science
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
70
Issue
2
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Political science
Social Sciences
Political Science
Government & Law
Campaign finance
Australian politics
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Cameron, S; Wynter, T, Campaign finance and perceptions of interest group influence in Australia, Political Science, 2018, 70 (2), pp. 169-188