CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND INTERCANDIDATE TRANSFERS IN THE CALIFORNIAASSEMBLY

This note examines the provision of campaign contributions made to inc umbents seeking reelection to the 1984 California Assembly. The object ive of this study is to recover attributes which successfully account for the distribution of contributions across recipients while simultan eously incorporating the transfer of resources among candidates into t he analysis. This is done by estimating a statistical model which refl ects a plausible relationship between the receipt of contributions and candidate transfers. Previous research on campaign finance and electi ons has emphasized the importance of legislative attributes such as co mmittee assignment and seniority in determining the distribution of re sources among candidates and discounts the role of considerations such as electoral vulnerability. Simultaneous analysis of contributions an d transfers indicates resources are distributed in a two-stage process in which contributors first allocate money in accordance with standar d accounts of interest group activity and candidates subsequently real locate money among themselves for the purpose of supporting colleagues facing strong electoral challenges.