The Public Values of Political Preference

Abstract

One of the traditionally central characteristics of public administration is its political neutrality. This article examines the connections between public service values and political preferences including party affiliation (Republican/Democrat), ideology (conservative/liberal), and presidential candidate preference (Romney/Obama). The study reports the results of a national survey (n = 1541) that elicits citizen expectations of government and party affiliation, ideological preference, and presidential candidate preference. Using regression analysis and multidimensional scaling, the article explores the empirical connections between public values and political preferences—and the ways in which the value structures of people with different political preferences differ in fundamental ways.