Why Is It Difficult to Make Strong Conclusions About the Relationship

question 48

Essay

Why is it difficult to make strong conclusions about the relationship between interest groups' financial contributions to political candidates and the voting behavior of those candidates once in office? What explains interest groups' continued use of campaign contributions despite the lack of evidence of their effectiveness in changing policy makers' behaviors?

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Definitions:

Psychoanalytic

Pertaining to the theory and method of psychology which emphasizes unconscious motivations and conflicts as determinants of behavior.

Behaviorist

A psychological perspective focusing on observable behaviors and the external stimuli that trigger them, while minimizing the importance of mental states or inner psychological processes.

Evolutionary Developmental

An interdisciplinary field of study combining aspects of evolutionary biology with developmental biology to understand the developmental processes that led to the evolution of complex organisms.

Cognitive-Developmental Theory

A theory that explains how children's cognitive abilities evolve and develop through distinct stages over time, pioneered by Jean Piaget.