Citizen Preferences Research Articles

Perceptions of (unequal) responsiveness and their consequences for electoral participation

ABSTRACT Research on a variety of democracies has shown that there is a link between mass preferences and public policy. It has also been documented that public policy tends to be more responsive to the preferences of affluent citizens. We know little, however, about citizens’ perceptions of policy responsiveness and their consequences for electoral participation. This manuscript addresses this issue by analysing citizens’ perceptions of policy responsiveness and of unequal policy responsiveness, the extent to which these perceptions vary by income, as well as the effect of those perceptions on turnout across various income groups. Using data from an original survey conducted in 13 western democracies in 2019, the analyses reveal that most citizens from all income groups are skeptical about their influence on policy and perceive a bias in policy making that favors the rich. These perceptions are associated with lower levels of participation, especially among the low-income groups.

Polarized Citizen Preferences for the Ethical Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in 20 Countries.

Objective. When medical resources are scarce, clinicians must make difficult triage decisions. When these decisions affect public trust and morale, as was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts will benefit from knowing which triage metrics have citizen support. Design. We conducted an online survey in 20 countries, comparing support for 5 common metrics (prognosis, age, quality of life, past and future contribution as a health care worker) to a benchmark consisting of support for 2 no-triage mechanisms (first-come-first-served and random allocation). Results. We surveyed nationally representative samples of 1000 citizens in each of Brazil, France, Japan, and the United States and also self-selected samples from 20 countries (total N = 7599) obtained through a citizen science website (the Moral Machine). We computed the support for each metric by comparing its usability to the usability of the 2 no-triage mechanisms. We further analyzed the polarizing nature of each metric by considering its usability among participants who had a preference for no triage. In all countries, preferences were polarized, with the 2 largest groups preferring either no triage or extensive triage using all metrics. Prognosis was the least controversial metric. There was little support for giving priority to healthcare workers. Conclusions. It will be difficult to define triage guidelines that elicit public trust and approval. Given the importance of prognosis in triage protocols, it is reassuring that it is the least controversial metric. Experts will need to prepare strong arguments for other metrics if they wish to preserve public trust and morale during health crises.HighlightsWe collected citizen preferences regarding triage decisions about scarce medical resources from 20 countries.We find that citizen preferences are universally polarized.Citizens either prefer no triage (random allocation or first-come-first served) or extensive triage using all common triage metrics, with “prognosis” being the least controversial.Experts will need to prepare strong arguments to preserve or elicit public trust in triage decisions.

Assessing Italians' Preferences for Mountain Beef Production Using a Best–Worst Scaling Approach

The European Union (EU) regulation on mountain food products represents a great opportunity for beef producers in mountain areas, particularly as the quality-certified food has received more attention from European consumers in recent years. However, for a food-quality system—such as the European Commission's mountain labeling scheme—to be effective, the regulation standards must meet consumer expectations. In Italy, there are few studies on consumer preferences regarding beef and none focused on meat produced in mountain areas. To help fill this gap, this study assessed the preferences of Italian citizens for attributes associated with beef produced in mountain areas and contrasted the results with the EU regulation on mountain food products. Furthermore, factors that explain the heterogeneity of Italians' preferences regarding beef production attributes were analyzed. Data were collected online using a consumer panel, and a best–worst scaling method and latent class analysis were used. The results indicate that Italians expect mountain beef to be healthier and produced according to higher animal welfare standards. Such preferences reveal the existence of a gap between what Italians expect and the quality standards of the EU regulation on mountain food products, a situation that may jeopardize the objectives of the European Commission's mountain labeling scheme.

DYNAMICS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLITICAL CULTURE OF MODERN TUVAN SOCIETY

The article presents the author’s research data on the study of the political culture of Tuvan society from 2016 to 2021. The analysis of the dynamics of political preferences of citizens over the past five years has been carried out, which allows us to identify the dynamics of the development of the political culture of modern Tuvan society. The factors influencing the political behavior of citizens are named, new trends in the political culture of the Republic of Tuva are described.

If you were a policymaker, which treatment would you disinvest? A participatory value evaluation on public preferences for active disinvestment of health care interventions in the Netherlands.

Currently, it is not known what attributes of health care interventions citizens consider important in disinvestment decision-making (i.e. decisions to discontinue reimbursement). Therefore, this study aims to investigate the preferences of citizens of the Netherlands toward the relative importance of attributes of health care interventions in the context of disinvestment. A participatory value evaluation (PVE) was conducted in April and May 2020. In this PVE, 1143 Dutch citizens were asked to save at least €100 million by selecting health care interventions for disinvestment from a list of eight unlabeled health care interventions, described solely with attributes. A portfolio choice model was used to analyze participants' choices. Participants preferred to disinvest health care interventions resulting in smaller gains in quality of life and life expectancy that are provided to older patient groups. Portfolios (i.e. combinations of health care interventions) resulting in smaller savings were preferred for disinvestment over portfolios with larger savings. The disinvestment of health care interventions resulting in smaller health gains and that are targeted at older patient groups is likely to receive most public support. By incorporating this information in the selection of candidate interventions for disinvestment and the communication on disinvestment decisions, policymakers may increase public support for disinvestment.

When Ideology Matters More – Science and Vaccine Scepticism in Light of Political Ideologies and Partisanship during the Third COVID-19 Wave in Hungary1

Abstract As for the mitigation of the negative consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the related crisis, governments should inter alia facilitate the willingness to vaccinate. However, related discussions became politicised, especially in countries with an extremely high level of partisan polarisation in opinions and media discourses, like in Hungary, which is the selected case of our study. As previous research about the United States shows, general trust in science is also influenced by the ideological alignment of individuals – people with conservative identification are more likely to question scientific results and recommendations, considering global warming, or the characteristics of the pandemic and the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. In our study we examine two main questions: first, whether the ideological orientation and partisan alignment of Hungarian citizens influence their general trust in science, and second, whether the same factors influence their opinion on scientists’ ability to develop effective vaccines against the coronavirus. Furthermore, we also investigate whether media consumption habits might influence these interrelations. According to the results of the representative online survey, the more conservative someone in Hungary identifies, the more likely they will be sceptical in terms of both questions. However, support of government or opposition parties does not determine whether they believe in the ability of scientists to develop effective vaccines, and it is influenced by their media consumption habits. We showed that (1) opposition supporters are much more different along their preferred media source than government supporters, (2) television watchers are of the same opinion independent of their party preference and (3) social media consumers are generally more likely to reject scientific results. The phenomenon that supporters of the conservative government and of the alliance of opposition parties are different in terms of their media consumption is a surprising finding in the polarised Hungarian context. We provide two main explanations for this. First, it is most probably the consequence of the government’s intensive campaign that encouraged vaccination. Second, the government used the issue of vaccination as a source of legitimacy regarding the effectiveness of their crisis management.

Utilitarianism on the front lines: COVID-19, public ethics, and the “hidden assumption” problem

Abstract How should we think of the preferences of citizens? Whereas self-optimal policy is relatively straightforward to produce, socially optimal policy often requires a more detailed examination. In this paper, we identify an issue that has received far too little attention in welfarist modelling of public policy, which we name the “hidden assumptions” problem. Hidden assumptions can be deceptive because they are not expressed explicitly and the social planner (e.g. a policy maker, a regulator, a legislator) may not give them the critical attention they need. We argue that ethical expertise has a direct role to play in public discourse because it is hard to adopt a position on major issues like public health policy or healthcare prioritisation without making contentious assumptions about population ethics. We then postulate that ethicists are best situated to critically evaluate these hidden assumptions, and can therefore play a vital role in public policy debates.

Municipal government adaptive capacity programs for vulnerable populations during the U.S. energy transition

The ongoing energy transition, while delivering immense positive societal benefits, also poses specific risks to vulnerable populations. Although municipal governments are uniquely situated to help identify these populations, little is known presently about the role that local governments play in addressing the risks and exposures related to the energy transition. Using a survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officers and secondary data on energy burden and fossil fuel job losses, we evaluate what municipal efforts exist and examine empirically the factors that influence such adaptive capacity efforts using a series of logistic regressions. We find that municipal programs, such as energy bill assistance, weatherization, job training support, and worker financial assistance are not widely pursued, and that perceived vulnerability, rather than actual vulnerability, is associated with municipal adaptive capacity programs. Such programs are typically part of a broader package of other clean energy initiatives. We further find that the provision of adaptive capacity programs is correlated with the size of a municipality's budget for certain types of assistance and with the political orientation of citizens.

Police body‐worn camera policies as democratic deficits? Comparing public support for policy alternatives

AbstractResearch SummaryPolicies that govern the use of body‐worn cameras (BWCs) by police vary widely between American cities. However, it is currently unclear whether citizen preferences for these policies vary in a similar manner. More specifically, do BWC policies reflect citizen preferences or are existing policies disfavored by a majority of the public? To investigate these questions, we randomly sampled 1000 respondents for each of the three representative metropolitan areas, Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; and Charlotte, NC, in addition to a further 1000 Americans across the country to inquire about policy preferences. We found that most respondents prefer the BWC policies recommended by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to those currently implemented in their regional police departments. In other words, elements of the BWC policies in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Charlotte do not reflect residents’ preferences.Policy ImplicationsThe policy stating that footage access should be given to parents of minors, a deceased subject's family members, or anyone filmed in an encounter, a model promoted by ACLU, is a clear favorite in the United States at large, but also in the three cities we studied. The policy stating that footage access should not be given to superior officers to find disciplinary infractions, also backed by the ACLU, is less popular among Americans at large and residents of Seattle. Beyond the high support for BWCs within the American population, decision makers need to make sure that the policies that govern the use of this tool respect democratic principles. Therefore, the voice of citizens needs to be heard to avoid a democratic deficit.

Understanding Public Participation as a Mechanism Affecting Government Fiscal Outcomes: Theory and Evidence From Participatory Budgeting

AbstractThis study aims to advance our knowledge about the role of public participation in formulating budgetary decisions of local governments. By focusing on participatory budgeting as a prominent form of public participation in the budgetary process, we posit that participatory budgeting serves two important roles in aligning the fiscal outcomes of local governments with citizen preferences: (1) increased transparency of the local budget and (2) improved budget literacy of citizens. This study investigates a link between participatory budgeting and the fiscal outcomes of local governments by utilizing data drawn from Korean local governments for seven fiscal years. Employing instrumental variable regression to address endogeneity, there is strong evidence that public participation and deliberation during the participatory budgeting process have a positive association with the fiscal balance. There is also weak evidence that the authority delegated to participatory budgeting participants affects the fiscal balance. The findings of this study imply that it is the quality of public participation that matters in holding the government accountable for its fiscal decisions.

Limits of Partisanship in Citizen Preferences on Redistricting

Limits of Partisanship in Citizen Preferences on Redistricting

Immigration Attitudes and Positive Messaging: Evidence From the United States

This paper considers a messaging strategy to shift immigration preferences, arguing that if citizen attitudes in this issue-area build from several dimensions, then a positive message related to each dimension should move attitudes in a more favorable direction. It tests the first part using original survey data with directly comparable questions about whether immigration hurts/helps American culture/the economy/national security, providing evidence that all three dimensions currently support the preferences of voting-age citizens. It tests the second part by randomly presenting another sample with different messages about how labor immigration strengthens national security, creates new jobs, or enhances culture, finding that all three reduce anti-immigration attitudes with significant effects even within groups that are more opposed to immigration (namely, white Americans, those with less education, and partisan Republicans).

Designing participatory green area management and biodiversity conservation strategies in the era of population shrinkage: empirical analysis of multi-generational perceptions on Satoyama rare species in central Japan

Underuse, instead of overuse, is a potential threat to biodiversity in semi-natural areas, particularly in East Asia. Due to serious depopulation and aging trends in East Asia, including Japan, few people are being involved in managing green areas and conserving biodiversity. Depending on specific events and age groups that contribute to the experience, knowledge, and preferences of citizens, green area management and biodiversity conservation activities can be effectively conducted through strong collaborations between various stakeholders and generations. We aimed to understand the differences in the perceptions of citizens, belonging to different generations in the metropolitan Nagoya City, towards the Satoyama areas in Japan through an online survey. The status of Satoyama areas is reflected by the rare species of endangered category II in the Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Analyzing the perceptions revealed gaps in the experience, knowledge, and preference between different age groups for various management and conservation activities. In addition to the intergenerational gaps, gaps between different household income levels and the duration of the activities were identified. The results indicated that reflecting upon the diverse interests among citizens and addressing the causes of the differences is necessary by integrating the differences for consensus building among different stakeholders belonging to different age and socio-economic groups.

National tourist rating of Russian regions: Typological diversity

In the context of increasing interest in the development of the tourist and recreational sphere of activity, the rating of Russian regions, which makes it possible to identify leaders and outsiders in the development of domestic and international inbound tourism, is one of the effective tools for strategic planning and management at the federal and regional levels of government, at the same time contributing to the formation of preferences of Russian citizens about the possibilities of leisure and recreation. The aim of the study is to identify typological groups of Russian regions and the main trends in the development of their tourist attractiveness based on the dynamics of the values of the National Tourist Rating for the period 2016-2020. The approach based on the dynamics of the values of the National Tourism Rating for the period 2016-2020 and their medians allows us to identify typological groups of the regions of the Russian Federation in terms of tourist attractiveness, oftourist potential and popularity among domestic and foreign tourists, as well as to determine the main trends in its development.The open data of the official website of the National Tourism Rating for the period 2016-2020 as well as scientific developments on the issues under study by Russian researchers are used. The analysis revealed five typological groups of Russian regions in terms of the level of tourist attractiveness: high (12.9%), increased (16.5%), medium (18.8%), insufficient (32.9%) and low (18.8%). In addition, three main trends in the development of regional tourist attractiveness have been identified. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourist development of Russian regions is different. The part of the regions of the Russian Federation received benefits and strengthened their positions with varying degrees of growth in the National Tourism Rating (38.8%), a large share reduced their values (47%), the fifth part of the regions retained their positions in the ranking (21.2%). The material is of interest to researchers focusing on the tourist competitiveness and tourist attractiveness of Russia in general and in the regional context, to regional authorities, specialists as well as students of specialized institutions.

POLITICAL CULTURE OF KAZAKHSTANIS: BASIC PARAMETERS, FEATURES, TRENDS OF TRANSFORMATION (based on the results of sociological research)

The article analyzes the political preferences of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, their political orientations, clarifies the level of public confidence in the political institutions of Kazakhstani society, determines the rating of political parties, identifies the motives and conditions for the participation of the population in protest actions. The analysis of the features, main parameters and trends in the transformation of the political culture of the population of the republic is carried out on the basis of data from field sociological studies (mass survey of the population, expert survey, focus group discussions). Sociological research was carried out in September 2021 by the Center for Business Information, Sociological and Marketing Research BISAM Central Asia, commissioned by the Institute for Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies of the CS MES RK. In addition, the results of sociological surveys conducted in 2003 and in 2011 by the Institute of Philosophy and Political Science of the CS MES RK within the framework of scientific projects devoted to the problems of socio-political stratification of Kazakhstani society were used. Based on the results of the political and sociological analysis, the authors conclude: the main way of solving problems and resolving conflicts in Kazakhstani society, which does not have traditions of legal and value-normative restrictions and self-restraints of political power rooted in political culture, should be the creation of a developed system of party representation of economic and social political interests of various strata of Kazakhstani society. At the end of the article, a number of conclusions are formulated and scientific and practical recommendations are given.

Beyond the U-curve: Citizen preferences on European integration in multidimensional political space

One of the major findings of the literature on Euroscepticism is that support for European integration generally declines as one moves closer to the extremes of the left-right ideological spectrum. However, in multidimensional policy space, Euroscepticism varies in more complex ways. This article explores the relief of Euroscepticism for citizens in four European states – the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and France – based on data from voting advice applications fielded before the 2019 elections of the European Parliament. The results reveal that the way Euroscepticism maps onto other dimensions differs significantly for citizens and for parties and across political contexts. Such variation is important for understanding how preferences for European integration are embedded into existing structures of political competition.

Re‐meander, rewet, rewild! Overwhelming public support for restoration of small rivers in the three Baltic Sea basin countries

Baltic Sea is one of the World's most oxygen‐depletes seas, so the region requires urgent mitigation measures to significantly reduce nitrogen and phosphorus inputs from land through rivers, which cannot be achieved without large‐scale restoration of wetland buffer zones. The manuscript summarizes the findings of the discrete choice experiment aimed at assessment of the preferences of Danish, German, and Polish citizens toward ecosystem services of lowland small rivers of the Baltic Sea basin. Our results suggest that respondents in all the studied countries are willing to pay substantial amounts to improve water quality in rivers and the Baltic Sea, as well as to restore naturally meandering rivers and natural riparian vegetation. Wild marshes and Wetland agriculture were equally valued as the most desirable options. Respondents systematically cared about the appearance of small rivers in their neighborhood. We conclude that re‐meandering, rewetting of floodplains, and restoration of wild marshes (i.e. natural wetland vegetation) or development of wetland agriculture could gain a lot of public support in Europe.

The Enduring Role of Sector: Citizen Preferences in Mixed Markets

Abstract What role does sector play in citizens’ perceptions of products or services in mixed-market settings where governments compete with for-profit and nonprofit vendors or when governments partner or contract with private-sector providers? Do the public and nonprofit sectors have an advantage over for-profit providers? Using choice-based conjoint analysis with a nationally representative paid consumer panel, we examine the relevance of sector to consumers and compare it other signals of quality; namely, price, third-party certifications, and consumer ratings. Of these, subjects are most sensitive to information from consumer ratings. Regarding sector, we find that subjects generally prefer nonprofit to government providers and government to for-profit providers. Sector is most relevant to consumers in low-information environments when the quality of a product or service is otherwise unclear. We extend theory by proposing four possible mechanisms for the differential value of sector to consumers (process quality, product quality, expertise quality, and moral quality).

What locals want: citizen preferences and priorities for the Tagliamento River

Sustainable river management frameworks are based on the connection between citizens and nature. So far, though, the relationship between rivers and local populations has played a marginal role in river management. Here, we present a blueprint questionnaire to characterize the perception of cultural ecosystem services (CES) by locals, and how preferences change across the river landscape. We investigate how locals value the river and whether their preferences are affected by characteristics such as place of residence, age, frequency of visits and relation to the river. The questionnaire was filled in by more than 4000 respondents, demonstrating huge interest and willingness to contribute to the project. A striking 85% of respondents identify a spiritual value of the river, suggesting a strong emotional connection. River conservation is the main priority for most respondents across the different groups. The map of favorite places shows that most of the river is appreciated by locals, with a high preference for the landscape of the braided middle course. The most valued area of the river, located in the middle course, faces threats due to dam construction projects, which would modify the natural course of the river and likely impact the favorite places of the locals. Our study highlights discrepancies between management choices and citizens´ values and priorities, and shows the need for including river values and CES in river management and their potential role for tackling conflicts. More generally, this work points out that any river intervention should be pondered carefully accounting for its environmental impact also in terms of loss of river values.

A heavy hand or a helping hand? Information provision and citizen preferences for anti-crime policies

AbstractAnti-crime policy is often unresponsive to reductions in crime. To address why, we provide a model and empirical test of how citizens’ anti-crime policy preferences respond to information. Our model shows that preferences for anti-crime policy hinge on expectations about the crime rate: punitive policies are preferred in high crime contexts, whereas social policies are preferred in low crime contexts. We evaluate these expectations through an information experiment embedded in the 2017 Latin American Public Opinion Project survey conducted in Panama. As expected by our theory, a high crime message induced stronger preferences in favour of punitive policies. Unanticipated by our theory, but in line with cursory evidence and survey results, we find that a low crime message did not induce stronger preferences in favour of social policies. These findings are consistent with policy ratcheting: punitive policies increase during periods of high crime and remain in place during periods of low crime.