Nidhi a's Senior Project Blog

Project Title: Funding the Future: How Campaign Finance Shapes Latino Representation in Arizona, Texas, Florida, and California.
BASIS Advisor: Dr. Travis May
Internship Location: Institute for Youth in Policy
Onsite Mentor: Mr. Paul Kramer



Project Abstract

What if the laws shaping our lives weren’t written just by our elected legislators but instead, the people funding their campaigns? Oh wait, is that true? My research is dedicated to addressing this question as I explore how campaign finance fuels policies that can disproportionately impact Latino communities in the United States. I intended originally to study many marginalized groups, but chose to focus on the Latino population. In doing so, I found a gap where the effects of immigration and labor legislation are fairly unexplored. As I analyze legislation from Arizona, Texas, California, and Florida, I’m tracking the financial links between corporate donors/PACs and lawmakers. It’s a forgone assumption that donors have influence, but I’m asking how much? How far does this reach extend? I chose border states with larger Latino populations and also two nation-wide laws passed from 2016 - 2020. By using statistical tools like regression analysis and correlation tests, I hope to find patterns relating campaign contributions to influence on policies like anti-immigration laws and labor restrictions. By not just dissecting numbers, I’m telling a story where money and power intersect to mold the lives of vulnerable communities. As I shed light on the connection between campaign finance and the growth of systemic inequity, I aim to inspire urgent discussions on reform to build an inclusive future.

    My Posts:

  • A sneak peek at my paper…

    Week of April 21 As we approach our final presentations, my Literature Review reminds me of the work I've been modeling my research on. As pasted below, I hope to provide even half of the commentary any of these keystone pieces have provided to help guide me in my research! Campaign finance has stood often... Read More

  • Slightly Unhinged, or Just Nearing the End?

    Week of April 14th: This week marked another major milestone… data collection and analysis are over!! I finished all three of my states and I am so grateful that staring down campaign contributions is an ordeal I don’t have to face any longer…. The volume of contributions in Texas was overwhelming and to be honest... Read More

  • A Texas-Sized Headache

    I know, I know, I’m back with more of the same updates… But pretend to be excited again anyways!! I’m still pushing and picking up the pace… this week was all about turning my data into some real insights and I’ve officially wrapped up both Texas and California data collection + analysis! With these finalized... Read More

  • Excel-ling at Research: How Google Sheets Became My New Best Friend

    I’m pushing forward! With Arizona’s data collection/analysis basically wrapped up, I officially moved into TEXAS. I refined my process along the way, actually USING Google Sheets to its fullest capacity and taking much of the math out of my hands. My color-coded spreadsheet helped me run some of my statistical tests for Arizona that confirmed... Read More

  • Wait… I Have a Whole Research Paper to Write?

    So… I finally realized I had my research paper to complete! So, this week has been all about transitioning from raw data collection to analyzing findings and shaping my paper. While last week was focused on structuring my dataset and really finalizing my methodology, I now get to actually interpret what the numbers are telling... Read More

  • Chi-Squared, Campaign Cash, and Checking the Data

    The last two weeks have been times of big wins with my research project. I finally started to feel like I was taking major steps forward, both in refining my methodology and making real progress on data collection/analysis.  My first big win was finally choosing my statistical method!! After a lot of back and forth... Read More

  • Lobbying, Laws, and Logistic Regression

    This week, my project took a major step forward! In data collection AND my entire approach to my methodology. One of my biggest highlights was getting the opportunity to visit the Arizona State Capitol for Charter Day. I had the chance to speak with legislators about my research and learn from those who definitely know... Read More

  • Breaking Down the Numbers: Organizing My Campaign Finance Data

    So… the hard part has begun.  This week was FULL of numbers. I made solid progress in refining my methodology and how I’m going to approach campaign finance data. As I mentioned last week, now that my research is centered on Arizona, Texas, Florida, and California, I’ve been focusing on how I can effectively analyze... Read More

  • Big Money, Bigger Impact: Why Focusing on Four States is Better Than Fifty

    Exciting news ahead... My research is getting a bit of a makeover! Originally, I set out to analyze campaign finance and Latino representation across the entire country, but honestly that was a bit too ambitious. Instead of tackling all 50 states, I decided to zoom into Arizona, Texas, Florida, and California. The reason: these four... Read More