Origins of Market Power; Campaigns Donations, and Firm Growth

The Origins of Market Power; Campaigns Donations, and Firm Growth project transferred to the University of Essex on 1 September 2022, when Nelson Ruiz moved to take up a new role as Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor). We will continue to list project outputs at DPIR below, and in our news feed.

Are business’s economic successes in the “free market” determined by their political campaigns donations?

To find out, Dr Nelson Ruiz will collate and examine new data spanning a ten-year period, tracing donations by individual firms, the award of government contracts, and tax declarations.

Their research aims to explore if political donations to winner politicians can, as a result, lead firms to growth and an increased market share.

The research will also identify repeat donors to find out whether firms' initial donations to successful candidates make them more likely to donate again to higher-level politicians, therefore increasing their market share and political influence.