How Not to Increase Participation in Local Government: The Advantages of Experiments When Testing Policy Interventions

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Arceneaux, Kevin; Butler, Daniel M.
• 署名单位: Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Temple University; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Temple University; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Temple University; Washington University (WUSTL)
• 刊物名称: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-3352
• DOI: 10.1111/puar.12387
• 发表日期: 2016
• 页码: 131-139
• 关键词: scale field experiment; citizen participation; voter mobilization; Social pressure; gratitude

摘要

Local governments benefit from nonelected committees that provide citizen input on important issues. Although these committees offer a valuable tool for policy makers, they suffer from low participation and tend to underrepresent economically disadvantaged citizens. This article reports the results of a randomized survey experiment that evaluated the relative effectiveness of offering social recognition or skills training. The findings show that entreaties to participate premised on gaining social recognition had no effect on willingness to participate and that offers to provide training actually decreased citizens' willingness to participate, especially among economically disadvantaged citizens. Even though these approaches may hold promise, this particular policy intervention did not live up to that promise. The article concludes with a discussion of the importance of testing policy interventions before wide-scale implementation and the utility of randomized experiments in this process.