Diversity of ties and political contributions

This paper traces the historical shifts in the types of social ties integrating corporate directors and patterns of political donations in the United States during the latter half of the Twentieth Century. Given that corporate networks express demographic and political changes in society, this research on the different configurations of social ties and political contributions represents an important complement to analyses of the social and demographic characteristics of board members. Utilizing historical data on corporate interlocks and the contributions recorded by the Citizens Research Foundation and the Federal Election Commission, this paper explores whether political activism, as indicated political contributions, is influenced by whether corporate ties are reinforced by mutual affiliations formed through nonprofit foundations, cultural organizations, university boards, policy planning boards, or membership in social clubs.