Are Wealthy Lawmakers More Effective?

• In Event: Political Parties and American Democracy Mini-Conference II: Effective Lawmaking and Compromise in Congress and the States

Abstract

A central question in the study of Congress is which lawmakers are more effective in office. Prior research has shown that gender, prior experience, seniority, and institutional positions are (at least sometimes) associated with legislative effectiveness. We add to this body of work by examining a new variable: legislator wealth. This paper examines whether rich members of Congress are more effective lawmakers. We draw on a new dataset of the assets held by members of Congress from 2008 to 2022. We find little evidence that wealthy members are better lawmakers, nor do we find that rich members become more effective during their time in office in ways that differ from their less wealthy counterparts. Thus, while rich candidates have a clear advantage at the ballot box, the results cast doubt on the idea that their victory leads to higher quality officeholders or better representation for constituents.

Authors

• Danielle Thomsen, University of California, Irvine

• Ryan Mundy, University of California, Irvine

• Savannah Plaskon, UC Irvine