Replication Data for: Stepping Up the Political Ladder: How the Burden of Fundraising Limits Candidate Entry

Why do some Americans pursue political careers, while others with similar demonstrated interest in politics do not? We adjudicate between two deterrents to potential candidates – the relatively low salaries paid to elected officials and the burden of fundraising to run campaigns. To do this, we use an experiment conducted with a unique sample of state and local elected officials who are especially likely to consider running for higher-level elected office. We presented these leaders with realistic election scenarios that vary in legislative salary and fundraising requirements. Our findings indicate that candidate entry decisions are significantly influenced by fundraising burdens, with interest in running decreasing as expected fundraising needs increase. While higher legislator pay does raise potential candidates’ interest in running, these high salaries typically do not offset the negative effects of high fundraising burdens. These results reveal key concerns of potential candidates when deciding to run for higher office.