Striking While the Iron Is Hot: Exploring the Impact of Issue Ownership and Issue Salience on Donations to Political Organizations in the 2020 US Presidential Election

This study integrates the perspectives of issue niche theory and issue ownership theory to examine how variations in issue salience affect the resources available to political organizations affiliated with different parties. Analyzing a database with millions of donors’ political donation records, our time series analysis reveals a nuanced interplay: When some issues associated with Democrats assume the spotlight, there is a discernible increase in left-leaning donations. Simultaneously, when other Democrats issue raises to prominence, there is a notable suppression of right-leaning contributions. These findings underline the persuasive force of issue ownership for each party, which either bolsters fundraising for affiliated political organizations or obstructs donations to opposing groups. Furthermore, we observe that competence-related issues, such as COVID-19 and the economy and inflation, exert a substantial influence on political contributions among both left- and right-leaning donors. Notably, competence issues demonstrate a more pronounced influence on donor behavior compared to associative issues. Overall, our study suggests a refined issue niche theory tailored to the political context, where issue niches are shaped not only by issue salience but also by the precise issue ownership type.