Private Funding at High-Level Elections: the Costa Rican Case for Explaining Vote Increase

Abstract

This paper examines the role of private and public funding in shaping electoral outcomes in Costa Rica, focusing on the period from 2010 to 2020. Drawing on data from multiple election cycles, the study investigates how financial contributions influence the success of political parties in a mixed funding system where both state and private funds play significant roles. The analysis reveals that private funding strongly predicts electoral performance, particularly in national-level elections, where it significantly correlates with the number of votes received. The number of individual donors also emerges as an essential factor, reflecting broader public support and contributing to electoral success. Additionally, the study finds that parties competing at the national level benefit from greater visibility and the ability to accumulate votes across different elections, further enhancing their electoral prospects. The interaction between public and private funding highlights the complexity of Costa Rica’s electoral finance system, suggesting that parties that effectively leverage both funding sources are more likely to succeed. These findings have important implications for understanding the dynamics of political finance in emerging democracies and underscore the need for continued efforts to ensure transparency and fairness in electoral processes. The paper concludes by discussing the broader implications of these results for electoral systems in Latin America and suggesting areas for future research.