Spending Levels of Political Parties

An Explanation Based on a Multilevel Analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID6267366
AuthorsJef Smulders (0000-0001-6014-2885, KU Leuven), Bart Maddens (0000-0001-6935-2571)
Year2019
Volume54
Issue2
Pages254-279
Publication date2019-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGovernment and Opposition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0017-257X • E-ISSN: 1477-7053
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/gov.2017.19
OpenAlexW2589600971
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited34

This article examines the determinants of the annual overall spending levels of political parties from a comparative perspective. On the basis of a dataset with 1,317 observations from 99 parties in nine European parliamentary democracies, we illustrate that the spending levels of parties – calculated on the basis of Nassmacher’s index of political spending – have not systematically increased over the past decade. A multilevel analysis shows that, at the country level, spending levels are higher in countries with a longer tradition of public funding, a higher effective number of parties and a shorter democratic tradition. They are also higher in election years, but this effect is moderated when campaign spending limits apply. At the party level, spending levels increase with party strength and party age. Party ideology and government participation, on the other hand, do not have an effect

Democracy · Economics · Government (linguistics · Government spending · Ideology · Multilevel model · Perspective (graphical · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public economics · Public spending · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · European Union Policy and Governance · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies