Institutional Effects on Lobbyist and PAC Spending

In this work, I examine the effects of key institutional factors on lobbying activities: party control, divided government, government spending, and majority status. The purpose of this study is to examine which factors influence how much money lobbyists and PACs spend to influence government. I utilize datasets on lobbyist spending from LobbyView, OpenSecrets, and FollowTheMoney to examine lobbyist spending at both the state and federal levels. Using these data, I find evidence that lobbyists spend more money when Republicans are in power than when Democrats are. I also find that divided government increases lobbyist spending. Finally, I find evidence supporting Cox and Magar’s finding (1999) that a legislator holding majority status can expect greater contributions from business PACs.