Author: Sarah Emily John
John, Sarah Emily, 2014 Experience and expectation: Socialization and the different motivational bases of party policy on campaign finance reform in Australia, Canada and the United States, Flinders University, School of International Studies
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Using hitherto private archival party records, this comparative study of campaign finance policy-making analyses the motives of party activists, officials and members of the legislature in reaching decisions on the reform of campaign finance laws during the 1970s. It develops eight case studies from Canada, Australia and Wisconsin to demonstrate, from inside the party veil, the diverse, mutable and, at times, principled motivations of partisans as they reformed campaign finance legislation. Relying on the private correspondence and actions of partisans, this thesis shows that interests, while relevant, are only part of the story of reform. Individual partisans were shaped by their experiences in their party and the expectations of those around them. In developing these understandings, this thesis moves beyond reductionist understandings focused on self-interest toward a more nuanced, and optimistic, understanding of the mixture of motives that guide parties in developing their reform agendas.
Keywords: electoral reform,campaign finance reform,party organization,Canada,Australia,Wisconsin
Subject: International Studies thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2014
School: School of International Studies
Supervisor: Don DeBats