Consistent with theory, the results suggest that when spending limits are raised by £100,000, on average the mean cost of a campaign increases by £43,000, 0.3 fewer can-didates run for office, the percent of candidates with an upper-class background increases by 10 percentage points, and the percent of money and votes that flow to incumbents surge by approximately 10-15 percentage points. In summation, high levels of permitted spending diminish electoral competition.
Consistent with theory, the results suggest that when spending limits are raised by £100,000, on average the mean cost of a campaign increases by £43,000, 0.3 fewer can-didates run for office, the percent of candidates with an upper-class background increases by 10 percentage points, and the percent of money and votes that flow to incumbents surge by approximately 10-15 percentage points. In summation, high levels of permitted spending diminish electoral competition.