The election of women and African-Americans to Congress: Impact of federal campaign finance regulations

The goal of this study was to determine the impact money, race, gender, and campaign finance laws have on the electability of women and African-Americans to Congress, focusing on the 102nd--105th Congresses (1991--1999). We conducted an historical qualitative analysis of federal and state election results and campaign finance laws, congressional records and statues, scholarly literature, and Supreme Court case law to compile data and information for the dissertation. We examined selected state and local level campaign finance reform efforts and their impact on the electability of women and African Americans.;The basic theory investigated is that current campaign finance regulations and inequitable access to money, when combined with other socio-economic factors, compromise the electability of women and African-Americans to Congress. We examined the following main research question: What are the effects of federal campaign finance regulations on the electability of women and African-Americans to Congress? To address this primary question, four sub-questions were considered. They are: (1) what is the history of Political Action Committees (PACs) and campaign finance reform laws and regulations; (2) does the gender of a candidate affect their electability to Congress; (3) does the race of a candidate affect their electability to Congress; and (4) does the amount of money raised by a candidate affect their electability to Congress?;We found that money, gender, and race affect the electability of women and African-Americans to Congress. Inequitable access to money, and being a women or African-American negatively affects a candidate's electability to Congress. In the history of PACs, there have been serious financial abuses, and political operatives have taken advantage of legal loopholes in campaign finance laws, such as soft money. Laws and regulations do not hinder women and African-Americans from participating in PACs, but this research shows that money is a factor in the type of relationship citizens have with PACs. In addition to money, women were less educated and had lower occupational profiles than men, which affects their chances of being elected to Congress.;The research on the political representation for African-Americans in Congress indicates that after initially being totally excluded from participating in the electoral process, they served in Congress for a brief time during Reconstruction. They then regained some access to Congress, with a significant increase beginning in the 1970s. Notwithstanding, this development, their access to Congress continues to be compromised by their race and comparative lack of access to money. The research revealed that African-Americans are less able or unwilling to donate money to PACs or congressional candidates, effectively compromising their access to a major mechanism that determines electabilty to Congress---PACs.;We concluded that traditional gender and race factors will continue to compromise the electability of women and African-Americans to Congress, but reforms can be made in federal campaign financing rules that will improve it. Such changes should include more public financing, shorter campaign seasons, elimination of soft-money, and removal of the constitutional nexus that has campaign contributions defined as speech.