King's College London

The pattern emerges from people's confidence in government effectiveness, researchers found. Those who support the governing party tend to trust its ability to address social challenges, making them less likely to seek private charitable solutions.

The findings come from a new paper, Partisanship, Political Alignment, and Charitable Donations, co-authored by Dr Bouke Klein Teeselink of King’s College London, and Dr Georgios Melios (LSE).

Data for the study were drawn from tax declarations published by the Internal Revenue Service in the United States, in which charitable donations can be declared and itemised by citizens.

The findings showed clear partisan patterns: residents of Republican-leaning areas increased their charitable giving by 4.6 per cent during Democratic presidencies, while those in Democratic areas boosted donations by 4.4 per cent under Republican presidents. In contrast, politically neutral areas maintained consistent donation levels regardless of which party held power.

These findings take on added significance when viewed against the backdrop of recent budget cuts for several key government departments by the administration of Donald Trump. In this context, the research suggests that communities opposing these shifts—in many cases, Democratic-leaning populations—may increasingly turn to private charitable giving as a compensatory mechanism.

"Taken together, our results demonstrate that people's perceptions of government are a major driver of charitable donations," the researchers concluded. "We provide the first clear evidence that political alignment directly influences real-world giving behaviour." As America's political divisions deepen, understanding these donation patterns becomes crucial for policymakers and charitable organizations working to maintain stable support for essential social services.