Closing the Gap or Widening the Divide: The Impacts of Technology‐Enabled Coproduction on Equity in Public Service Delivery

Abstract

AbstractThis article investigates how 311 systems affect distributional equity in public service delivery. Many local governments in the United States have adopted interactive 311 platforms to engage citizens in coproduction. Using a novel household‐level data set on 311 service requests and power service restoration in the City of Tallahassee, Florida, after Hurricane Michael in 2018, the authors examine possible disparities between racial minority groups and nonminorities in making power service restoration requests via 311. The article further analyzes how coproduction participation through 311 affects distributional equity in power restoration. The findings show that minority groups are more likely to utilize these smart technologies to submit requests for essential services after disasters, as they may have greater needs but less political capital to reach out to the government. Their utilization of e‐governance technologies has helped them gain more attention from the government, which narrows the equity gap in service delivery.