PROTECTIVE SERVICE UNIONS POLITICAL ACTIVITIES AND DEPARTMENTAL EXPENDITURES

This paper examines how police and firefighter unions' political activ ities influence departmental expenditures. Unlike prior research, we m easure unions' political activity independently of union bargaining po wer. Results indicate that a protective service union's electoral acti vities positively affect departmental expenditures, and these effects are attributable to union political power rather than multilateral col lective bargaining power.