Whose Voice Counts? Uncovering Municipal Issue Publics
I recently interviewed a man I’ll call Henry. Henry cares deeply about road safety after his son died in a car accident. He sits on three local committees dedicated to improving road safety in his community, and road safety informs how Henry participates in politics and who he votes for. But is Henry unique? Are other citizens highly informed and engaged on one (or more) specific policy issues?
Compelled to Coordinate: Understanding local inter- and intra-governmental coordination on environmental sustainability issues
Environmental challenges have never been more pressing for local governments to address. Intensifying climate change, resource disputes, and ecosystem disruption are increasingly being scrutinized and through a patchwork of local policy action. The environmental problems facing us demand immediate attention. However, the current policy landscape is, in many ways, poorly organized to accomplish this task. Local governments will need to engage in coordination if we want to tackle these issues more effectively moving forward.
Do Local Governments Listen to the Experts?
When Amazon.com, Inc. announced its search for a second headquarters in 2017, 238 localities across North America worked to submit proposals. While the media and much of the general public focused on the spectacular incentive packages and which cities were poised to “win,” less attention was paid to how these proposals offer novel and sought-after information about how cities practice economic development policy across a wide range of areas. Localities were asked to offer highly systematic documentation of a wide range of economic development policies, and with an unprecedented degree of time and human effort they responded in earnest.