Polls and Elections Hail to the Fundraiser in Chief: The Evolution of Presidential Fundraising Travel, 1977-2004

While much research on political fundraising is based on data from the Federal Election Commission that detail contributions to candidates, political parties, and political action groups, this study examines the other side of the coin-what do presidents do in search of political funds, and how does this relate to other presidential activities? The author systematically analyzes the frequency and geography of presidential fundraising travel from 1977 to 2004 in order to determine which factors are related to where presidents go to raise funds from their supporters, how fundraising travel relates to geographic patterns of other presidential activity, and the evolution of these dynamics over time. The findings indicate that fundraising is a growing part of reelection and party-building efforts throughout a president's term, and that a president's electoral and financial geographies are distinct, as each results from a different set of incentives.