Money really matters? An analysis of campaign financing in the elections for ALERGS in 2014

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between campaign funding and votes of all 668 candidates for the 2014 election in the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul (ALERGS). While the literature demonstrates funding to be a key variable to explain electoral success, it also shows that it is only true when there are no other intervening variables. When the analysis is controlled by variable political career, the importance of money considerably decreases. Thus, the article points out that the literature should be more cautious when discussing the importance of money as to explain electoral success in Brazil.