Anne E. Baker

Anne E. Baker serves as Associate Professor in the Political Science Department at Santa Clara University, specializing in American political institutions and electoral dynamics. Her scholarly profile centers on campaign finance systems, party behavior, and congressional representation.

Her research program rigorously examines money in politics through multiple lenses: donor motivations (duty vs. profit), party polarization mechanisms, and the impact of Super PACs on electoral competitiveness. Key themes include non-incumbent candidate financing strategies, out-of-state contribution networks, and constituency representation erosion caused by outside spending. Methodologically, she combines quantitative analysis of Federal Election Commission data with legal scholarship, notably contributing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court on campaign finance transformation.

Analysis of her 2015-2025 publications reveals evolving focus from traditional party fundraising (The Fundraising Disadvantages Confronting American Political Parties, 2015) to contemporary challenges of dark money dominance. Recent work demonstrates how non-incumbents leverage loan financing (2021) and out-of-state contributions (2022), while establishing causal links between outside money volume and diminished constituent representation (2016). Her 2025 study on Republican women's party alignment marks current investigation into gendered polarization.