| This dissertation is about campaign spending in state supreme court elections. Specifically, I examine whether campaign spending by candidates for the state high court bench promotes or inhibits electoral competition. Looking at all contested state supreme court elections from 1990–2000, I find that, in some circumstances, campaign spending promotes competition, while in other cases it retards it. The effects of campaign spending on the vote total depend upon characteristics of the candidates, the state electoral context, and institutional arrangements. The results both extend current findings about the role of campaign spending in congressional and state legislative elections, and speak to efforts currently underway in state legislatures to reform or eradicate judicial elections. |
