Date of Graduation

5-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Political Science

Advisor/Mentor

Dowdle, Andrew

Committee Member

Sebold, Karen

Second Committee Member

Muntz, Charles

Third Committee Member

Harrington, Phil

Abstract

The purpose of this research project is to examine the varying states of disclosure at the municipal level depending on location and understand how the quality of campaign finance databases varies depending on what city one lives in. A literature review was conducted that focused on understanding the state of disclosure and transparency, as well as the relationship between technology and disclosure. An analysis of the campaign finance databases for six cities across the United States of America was also completed. Five individuals of differing demographics were asked to help rank the databases on a variety of aspects. I found that the differences in campaign disclosure requirements have no discernible effect on the level of accessibility and clarity when it comes to navigating the databases for information. Correlation was discovered when examining the relationship between the three aspects of each database. A relationship between the size of a city and the quality of its database was also discovered. The larger cities received lower scores for each aspect of their database, while the smaller cities received the highest scores. El Paso ultimately ranked the highest of the six cities examined and should serve as an example for cities looking to create or improve their own database.

Keywords

Campaign Finance; Disclosure; Transparency; Online Databases; United States Cities

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