Elite Social Relations and Corporate Political Donations in Britain

Bond, Matthew (2007) Elite Social Relations and Corporate Political Donations in Britain. Political Studies, 55 (1). pp. 59-85. ISSN 0032-3217 . (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2007.00622.x ) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided)

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Official URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2007.00622.x

Abstract

Elite theory critiques of corporate political action rest on the claim that it advances the political interests of elite status groups. This article examines that claim by investigating the relationship between a British corporation's propensity to make donations to the Conservative party and its directors' educational backgrounds and social club affiliations. Using a structural equivalence blockmodel, it is shown that among the largest 250 British corporations in 1995 there was a set with directors who came from elite educational backgrounds and were members of elite social clubs. These corporations made a disproportionate number of donations. I argue that these results support the elite theory critique.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Social Policy Sociology and Social Research > Sociology Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Social Policy Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User:	Samantha Osborne
Date Deposited:	19 Dec 2007 18:41 UTC
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2014 14:09 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/1042 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)