Stan Nguyen Oklobdzija

Makes use of the only publicly available donor list for a dark money group in existence today — that of "Americans for Job Security," who contributed $11 million to two conservative-leaning ballot initiative campaigns in California during the 2012 elections. Finds a strong liberal tilt of donors to Americans for Job Security — indicating a social pressure motivation behind concealing one's donations via a dark money group. Shows disclosure laws have an effect on donor's calculus to contribute to a political cause.

Investigates pathways for anonymous giving that emerged from the Citizens United decision and how those pathways allowed more ideologically motivated groups to aggressively challenge more established factions of political parties in ways previously unfeasible. Reveals how changes in campaign finance law empowered these more extreme groups while hobbling efforts of more moderate party factions.

Shows how politically polarizing events can bear financial dividends for extremist politicians. Reveals that polarizing events such as California’s perennial budget impasses can create strong incentives to prolong political discord by extremists.