Replication Data for: Can Interest Groups Influence Elections? Evidence from Unions in Great Britain 1900-2019 (doi:10.7910/DVN/DVRNMH)

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Part 1: Document Description
Part 2: Study Description
Part 3: Data Files Description
Part 4: Variable Description
Part 5: Other Study-Related Materials
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Document Description

Citation

Title:

Replication Data for: Can Interest Groups Influence Elections? Evidence from Unions in Great Britain 1900-2019

Identification Number:

doi:10.7910/DVN/DVRNMH

Distributor:

Harvard Dataverse

Date of Distribution:

2024-10-07

Version:

Bibliographic Citation:

Fouirnaies, Alexander, 2024, "Replication Data for: Can Interest Groups Influence Elections? Evidence from Unions in Great Britain 1900-2019", https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/DVRNMH, Harvard Dataverse, V1, UNF:6:2YSDksuTqgegJQB0Qo6dKA== [fileUNF]

Study Description

Citation

Title:

Replication Data for: Can Interest Groups Influence Elections? Evidence from Unions in Great Britain 1900-2019

Identification Number:

doi:10.7910/DVN/DVRNMH

Authoring Entity:

Fouirnaies, Alexander (University of Chicago)

Producer:

Alexander Fouirnaies

Distributor:

Harvard Dataverse

Access Authority:

Alexander Fouirnaies

Depositor:

Fouirnaies, Alexander

Date of Deposit:

2024-02-16

Holdings Information:

https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/DVRNMH

Study Scope

Keywords:

Social Sciences, House of Commons, elections, Labour, union, campaign finance

Abstract:

Unions sponsor electoral candidates around the world, yet little is known about the consequences of these arrangements. I study how union sponsorship affected the electoral prospect of British parliamentary candidates throughout the 20th century. I collect new data on the universe of union-sponsored candidates. Employing a difference-in-differences design based on within-candidate variation induced by the sponsorship institution and its abolishment, I document that sponsorship caused a six percentage-point increase in candidate vote shares. I outline theoretical mechanisms and examine whether sponsees improved their electoral fortune because of changes in constituencies, opponents, resources, mobilization, or information. The evidence supports the constituency and resource mechanisms: Sponsorship helped candidates get nominated in attractive constituencies, accounting for two-thirds of the effect, and caused an inflow of campaign resources into constituency-party organizations. Overall, sponsorship promoted the representation of union-friendly candidates in parliament, but it only led to moderate shifts in the balance of power between parties.

Notes:

This dataset underwent an independent verification process, complying with the AJPS Verification Policy updated June 2023, which replicated the tables and figures in the primary article. For the supplementary materials, verification was performed solely for the successful execution of the code. The verification process was carried out by the Cornell Center for Social Sciences at Cornell University. The associated article has been awarded the Open Materials Badge. Learn more about the Open Practice Badges from the <a href="https://www.cos.io/">Center for Open Science</a>. <img src="https://socialsciences.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/2024-04/materials_large_color.png" alt="Open Materials Badge " width="60" height="60"> Open Materials Badge

Methodology and Processing

Sources Statement

Data Sources:

Fouirnaies, Alexander. 2021. “How do campaign spending limits affect elections? evidence from the united kingdom 1885–2019.” American Political Science Re- view 115(2):395–411.

Labour Party. 1918. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1922. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1923. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1924. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1929. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1931. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1935. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1945. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1950. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1951. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1955. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1959. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1964. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1966. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1970. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1974. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party. Labour Party. 1979. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party. Labour Party.

Data Access

Disclaimer:

The American Journal of Political Science and the Cornell Center for Social Sciences are not responsible for the accuracy or quality of data uploaded within the AJPS Dataverse, for the use of those data, or for interpretations or conclusions based on their use.

Other Study Description Materials

File Description--f10515598

File: sponsors.tab

Number of cases: 16536
No. of variables per record: 47
Type of File: text/tab-separated-values

Notes:

UNF:6:2YSDksuTqgegJQB0Qo6dKA==

Variable Description

List of Variables:

obs_id - Observation id
const_id - Constituency id
const - Constituency name
cand_id - Candidate id
const_cand_id - Constituency-by-candidate id
name - Candidate name
region - Region
party - Party
borough - Borough constituency
date - General election date
year - Year
timeXregion - Election-by-region id
mp - Member of Parliament
win - Win
vote_pct - Labour vote (\%)
union_sponsor - Union sponsored
sponsor - sponsor
union_abbrev - Union abbreviation
industry - Industry of union
founded_dissolved - Years when union was founded and dissolved
sponsee_selection_mechanism - Sponsee selection mechanism
alwayswin - Safe Labour constituency
turnout - Turnout (\%)
inc - Incumbent candidate
spending_pct - Campaign spending (\%)
spending_limit_predicted - Spending limit in constituency
spending_limited - Candidate spends more than 90 percent of legally permitted spending
conservative_localgovexperience - Politically experienced opponent
reform1996variation - Sample where variation in sponsorship is only based on the sponsorship ban
log_spending_total - Log total spending
log_spending_ads - Log ads spending
log_spending_managers - Log managers spending
log_spending_staff - Log staff spending
log_spending_facilities - Log facilities spending
log_spending_meetings - Log public meetings spending
log_spending_misc - Log miscellaneous spending
log_spending_personal - Log personal spending
staff_fte - Full-time party staff
union_speeches_share - Share of parliamentary speeches where candidate mentions union-relevant words
spending_at_limit - Spending at legal maximum
sponsXconstcand_alwaysatlimit - Union sponsor \(\times\) candidate \\ always at spending limit
time - General elections
union_dissolved_cand - Sponsoring union dissolved
cand_const_opponent - Candidate-constituency-opponent id
sponsored_from_beginning - Candidate sponsored by union in their first election
sponsored_at_end - Candidate sponsored by union in their last election
union_speeches_share_prev - Share of parliamentary speeches with \\ trade union content (term prior to t)

Variables

Observation id

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 2.0191203318E10; Mean 1.970317053093447E10; StDev 3.0772797194726866E8; Valid 16536.0; Min. 1.9001000147E10

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:QlQUONlS1UMHqtR0Iv9aFg==

Constituency id

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 3736.0; Mean 1901.4420053217177; Min. 1.0; Valid 16536.0; StDev 1070.3030455325554

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:diWzulDGmAL6TlA7WEdZbw==

Constituency name

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:R+Ms4XVEmRByYDoUxgq5dQ==

Candidate id

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Mean 1.9635350671390965E10; Max. 2.0191203318E10; Min. 1.8920700545E10; Valid 16536.0; StDev 3.13147612891966E8;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:MsTCHTc5F2pXZlnfn2yU1Q==

Constituency-by-candidate id

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 14626.787132982967; Max. 50765.0; Mean 25631.302733430046; Min. 1.0; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:vCz1czyZy4EUWDO5aZnnCw==

Candidate name

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:fLh8ComnSxlI7DVcoV8UwQ==

Region

f10515598 Location:

Value	Label	Frequency
4.	Ireland	0
2.	East Midlands	1134
3.	Greater London	1854
10.	South West England	1205
6.	North West England	2746
12.	West Midlands	1458
11.	Wales	1019
1.	East England	1346
9.	South East England	2194
7.	Northern Ireland	28
5.	North East England	582
13.	Yorkshire and the Humber	1142
8.	Scotland	1825

Summary Statistics: Min. 1.0; Valid 16533.0; Mean 7.179882658924592; Max. 13.0; StDev 3.699983234543569

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:Fvvkw9LB/clIkQpS7TSYgA==

Party

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:9/NFMmfo97VZTwgxvEWoiw==

Borough constituency

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Min. 0.0; Valid 16526.0; StDev 0.4999799605749682; Max. 1.0; Mean 0.5059300496187936

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:l3Wr6MqH3T/Q5vnDPvy5dg==

General election date

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:cKwDEUFs2+ShaQXCrJXidQ==

Year

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Min. 1900.0; StDev 30.783272298392713; Mean 1970.247883405895; Max. 2019.0; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:+zye2fKsAr/ywkYRRNn+kw==

Election-by-region id

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 343.0; Min. 1.0; StDev 87.35051747955448; Mean 191.2329885683013; Valid 16533.0;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:/kxMEfKdMYV0vbV854MPMA==

Member of Parliament

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Mean 0.37481857764878285; Min. 0.0; StDev 0.48409067666252853; Max. 1.0; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:iSAv4EL07vboTR8S1xaP8Q==

Win

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 1.0; StDev 0.49666843459231713; Mean 0.44224721819060786; Valid 16536.0; Min. 0.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:fkGdUWYgu+SXIXiwCHCNVw==

Labour vote (\%)

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Mean 40.50172291567735; Min. 1.756798505783081; Valid 16536.0; Max. 100.0; StDev 17.10588881160406;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:IobZx9nG3zilJH8LtkcRGA==

Union sponsored

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 0.3897177303367926; Mean 0.18674407353655315; Max. 1.0; Min. 0.0; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:k4poBnK7VuosKilFvh0D6g==

sponsor

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:s/mFFwqBKEq9qzzIfTuLTQ==

Union abbreviation

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:vHApsfdW6283+v6sP7jJdA==

Industry of union

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:eYK7a1Pk8dF8vuT1kxqigg==

Years when union was founded and dissolved

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:9EMxQ0dhSAdZNaVryMVVow==

Sponsee selection mechanism

f10515598 Location:

Variable Format: character

Notes: UNF:6:F0mVbDGoTvzE6IzTwe//QQ==

Safe Labour constituency

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 1.0; Min. 0.0; Mean 0.25786163522011923; Valid 16536.0; StDev 0.4374706685866655

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:pOfySj4ar7wNQR2N4e5bdw==

Turnout (\%)

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 8.8299634658597; Min. 26.226139068603516; Max. 100.0; Mean 72.72294402526165; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:U1Gn6j9I75M/bc/uljNv8w==

Incumbent candidate

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Valid 16536.0; Min. 0.0; Max. 1.0; StDev 0.46405027176233515; Mean 0.3138001935171689;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:SGeXSMB9GbZ+18BcmnFOfQ==

Campaign spending (\%)

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Valid 16137.0; Max. 100.0; Mean 34.59710656361537; StDev 14.260269498137355; Min. 0.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:orommebXgnNe2SIypo7k9g==

Spending limit in constituency

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Valid 16516.0; Mean 4566.471118914332; Max. 18872.0; StDev 4865.238242208681; Min. 294.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:ihlIhEY9JnM0P3ErZc7g4g==

Candidate spends more than 90 percent of legally permitted spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 3214.441009826967; Max. 22316.2890625; Mean 2657.9517395707885; Valid 16115.0; Min. 0.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:RyAqOHkJdjngUqiisUawzg==

Politically experienced opponent

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 0.4770329759304886; Min. 0.0; Valid 7732.0; Mean 0.35010346611483945; Max. 1.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:EcFnfM5/kQ0TN/RqAvPzig==

Sample where variation in sponsorship is only based on the sponsorship ban

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Min. 0.0; StDev 0.3004440053273863; Mean 0.10032656023220456; Max. 1.0; Valid 16536.0;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:pgr6abCgUgJLVeXCAxOLrw==

Log total spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 1.7085391376830348; Valid 16536.0; Mean 9.237964942027606; Min. 0.0; Max. 12.35919189453125;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:ChGKG+AYQzpITR437j+xmQ==

Log ads spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 2.3465227668431026; Valid 16536.0; Min. 0.0; Mean 8.525154312293045; Max. 11.802735328674316;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:mcHYVsMtIGWR+aKTbKRdMQ==

Log managers spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 10.673938751220703; Mean 4.026150755364113; Valid 16536.0; Min. 0.0; StDev 3.5823208834378555;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:gUoO9NQYBX0ecyWRetwyYg==

Log staff spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Min. 0.0; Mean 3.131827336483453; Max. 10.77480697631836; StDev 3.4868872054338147; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:3D7qyYKaC1XfMJAPDAfVeA==

Log facilities spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 9.347827911376953; Min. 0.0; Valid 16536.0; StDev 2.4868463651583355; Mean 5.382853214344852;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:f9Nf+5RaoKiB+eSl0hdsWg==

Log public meetings spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Min. 0.0; Max. 9.891831398010254; StDev 3.036399655353349; Valid 16536.0; Mean 4.304528417956885;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:NbJD4I6oETM41wo8/zoRtg==

Log miscellaneous spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Mean 5.675229946988823; Valid 16536.0; Min. 0.0; Max. 10.319184303283691; StDev 2.940882755952076

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:KgEra3A/gxQ0aWlDJc0+3w==

Log personal spending

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 3.2680424538139228; Mean 4.37471379349834; Max. 10.023944854736328; Min. 0.0; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:WNkLNhUZjWzomWY03tgvPQ==

Full-time party staff

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 1.5; Min. 0.0; Valid 5310.0; Mean 0.3080853742338632; StDev 0.44548168972624397;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:wF7eFCdcRN3Ks/FifvECuQ==

Share of parliamentary speeches where candidate mentions union-relevant words

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 1.0; Mean 0.2931899600205885; Min. 0.0; Valid 5734.0; StDev 0.14244541075188577;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:Hs/EbNZVQXdvj9OtjEZ4Ew==

Spending at legal maximum

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 1.0; StDev 0.39893795751435235; Min. 0.0; Mean 0.19857275829971283; Valid 16115.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:z6/L8FXFZn7lKoOb+x8LIg==

Union sponsor \(\times\) candidate \\ always at spending limit

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: StDev 0.1472241966581487; Valid 16287.0; Max. 1.0; Min. 0.0; Mean 0.022164916804814243

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:qSXOukrDvNHTA/DTOJlUmA==

General elections

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Min. 1.0; Valid 16536.0; StDev 7.916225701566459; Mean 19.160558780840265; Max. 32.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:bOmG/i2l0Iv4w/hbTWgVWg==

Sponsoring union dissolved

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 1.0; Min. 0.0; Mean 0.01989598451862551; StDev 0.13964710395635385; Valid 16536.0;

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:btifgrPMxRpagR5B5Kamqg==

Candidate-constituency-opponent id

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Max. 14251.0; Min. 1.0; StDev 4150.273550876164; Mean 6872.753144653323; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:iuAYLBB8HSbfuRiOxdXqMg==

Candidate sponsored by union in their first election

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Mean 0.15009675858732516; StDev 0.3571770382609538; Min. 0.0; Max. 1.0; Valid 16536.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:Voc/mVPd92DZGhoZgSlhYw==

Candidate sponsored by union in their last election

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Mean 0.18365989356557255; Min. 0.0; StDev 0.38721829041174755; Valid 16536.0; Max. 1.0

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:1eCoUTx7kD7822iUWa9I1A==

Share of parliamentary speeches with \\ trade union content (term prior to t)

f10515598 Location:

Summary Statistics: Min. 0.0; Mean 0.29108391556959073; Valid 4819.0; Max. 1.0; StDev 0.13813758328479786

Variable Format: numeric

Notes: UNF:6:F3Qci5VY8CObEZrg+m2epw==

Other Study-Related Materials

Label:

codebook.pdf

Text:

Codebook that describes the variables in the dataset and how the data was collected

Notes:

application/pdf

Other Study-Related Materials

Label:

log_replication.log

Text:

Stata replication log file

Notes:

text/plain

Other Study-Related Materials

Label:

README.txt

Text:

README that describes the project and the replication procedures

Notes:

text/plain

Other Study-Related Materials

Label:

replication.do

Text:

Stata replication do file

Notes:

application/x-stata-syntax