Publisher
The University of Arizona.Rights
Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.Abstract
Despite an increasing interest in the topic of marketing and politics, scholars have paid scant attention to a growing citizen stakeholders’ behavior: small donor contributions to political campaigns. We examine how the different formats of contribution (i.e., monetary donations and the purchase of political merchandise) influence donors’ other political behaviors. The paper makes several contributions: (1) while prior work has examined how political behavior (such as support for a political party) affects consumer purchase decisions, we are the first to examine how political consumption affects political behavior; (2) we demonstrate how purchasing political merchandise (vs. making an equivalent monetary donation) reduces the likelihood of engagement in subsequent political behaviors, such as voting; (3) we offer insights for political operatives and public policy advocates on how to increase citizens’ political engagement through the donation format. To examine this unique phenomenon, we focus on four distinct election cycles and use a multi-methods approach: analysis of an archival dataset, a longitudinal survey of actual donors, and a set of experiments, including actual consumption of political merchandise.Type
Electronic Dissertationtext
Degree Name
Ph.D.Degree Level
doctoralDegree Program
Graduate CollegeManagement