Public Opposition Research Articles

Countering public opposition to immigration: The impact of information campaigns

Is opposition to immigration deeply entrenched or is it open to updating in the face of new information? We explore this question by examining how attitudes of native citizens shift following exposure to information that points to potential upsides of immigration. We do so using a large-scale randomized experiment embedded in a text-comprehension study administered in Japan. As part of the study, participants were subtly presented with information on social and economic problems that immigration could help address (e.g., growing elderly population that requires care, labor shortage in certain sectors). Depending on the treatment, information exposure increased support for a more open immigration policy and motivated pro-immigration political action. Notably, effects persisted 10–12 days after the intervention. The results suggest that information campaigns can lessen public opposition to immigration.

Are large-scale hydroelectric dams inherently undemocratic?

Construction of large-scale hydroelectric dams has increased in recent decades in the Global South and emerging economies. Population resettlement is one of the most severe socioeconomic impacts caused by dam construction. Processes aiming to mitigate its impacts and restore livelihoods are often described as inadequate. The resettlement process’ ineffectiveness could be explained by persistent deficiency in citizen participation, which is also a sign of the impacted population not being able to participate in the process affecting their lives. Our research presents a medium-N comparative study showing the pathways explaining deficiency of participation across 23 large-scale hydroelectric dams in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We conducted a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis based on information from a qualitative meta-analysis and secondary sources. Our results suggest that there are at least two scenarios to explain deficiency in participation. The first scenario includes dams constructed during autocracies, mostly before the release of the World Commission on Dams guidelines. The second scenario involves the largest dams in our analysis, with high economic and political interests at stake built under both autocratic and democratic regimes, despite the presence of what we categorized as effective forms of public opposition to the project and resettlement process. We discuss features that make large hydroelectric dams less participatory or inherently undemocratic in the Global South.

Evaluation of Investments in Wind Energy Projects, under Uncertainty. State of the Art Review

The use of renewable energy sources, especially wind energy, has been widely developed, mostly during the last decade. The main objective of the present study is to conduct a literature review focused on the evaluation under uncertainty of wind energy investment using the real options approach to find out whether public opposition (NIMBY projects) has been contemplated, and if so, what have been the flexible strategies applied for its intervention. Overall, 97 publications were analyzed, identifying 20 different models or approaches, which were grouped into eight categories: 1. Real options, 2. Optimization, 3. Stochastics, 4. Financial evaluation, 5. Probabilistic, 6. Estimation, 7. Numerical prediction, and 8. Others. The real options approach, present in 32% of the studies, was the most popular. Twenty-eight types of uncertainties were identified, which were grouped, for better analysis, into nine categories. In total, 62.5% of the studies included the price of electricity as a source of uncertainty; 18.8%, the velocity of wind; and 15.6%, the feed-in rates-subsidy. Both random and non-random techniques were applied to assess the real options and to model the uncertainties. When evaluating real options, the Monte Carlo simulation technique was the most preferred, with 16 (51.6%) applications, followed by non-randomized techniques, decision tree, and dynamic programming, with eight (25.8%) applications each. There is a marked tendency to use stochastic processes to model uncertainty, particularly geometric Brownian motion, which was used in 61.3% (19) of the studies in the sample. When searching for “real options AND (nimby OR public opposition)”, no study was found, which shows the possibility of developing research on this aspect to determine its impact on investments in wind energy projects.

Recycled water reuse: what factors affect public acceptance?

SummaryGlobally, water resources are under immense and increasing pressure. This, coupled with the threat of climate change, has increased global interest in water reuse. However, global water reuse remains limited because of public opposition. This paper thus examines public perceptions and attitudes to water reuse across the world. It finds that results from studies of water reuse acceptance have tended to be context specific, although claims can be made about the universal relevance of some predictors, underscoring the need for individual water reuse schemes to carefully consider their local context. Disgust remains a constant in the public psyche, while public trust in delivery agents as well as how water reuse is communicated vis-à-vis perceptions about the quality and safety of recycled water are also critical. The latter particularly highlights public concerns about the indeterminate health risks associated with water reuse.

Assessing EDR and a novel deer repellent for reducing by-kill of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), during aerial 1080 operations

ABSTRACT A 2014 carcass search survey confirmed that Tiakina Ngā Manu aerial 1080 operations, undertaken to protect resident mohua (Mohoua ochrocephala) from increases to predator populations following substantial beech (Nothofagus sp.) mast events, cause mortality for Wakatipu white-tailed deer. Non-target by-kill of deer generates significant public opposition to predator control operations. We assessed if a current deer repellent (EDR) and a repellent in development (Pestex-DR) were effective at repelling captive white-tailed deer from consumption of nontoxic baits, commonly used in Tiakina Ngā Manu operations. Both repellents were found to significantly decrease bait consumption, and we observed clear displays of aversion to repellent baits by captive deer. Ten GPS collared wild white-tailed deer were then monitored following a Tiakina Ngā Manu operation using EDR in 2016. One collared deer was poisoned following the operation, confirming that EDR is not 100% effective. We recommend the most effective available deer repellent be used for future Tiakina Ngā Manu operations over the Wakatipu white-tailed deer habitat to minimise public opposition to these predator control operations. In addition, our results suggest that differences in the boundary size and shape of operations may account for some of the variability in non-target by-kill observed between studies.

The Games That Never Happened: Social Reception and Press Coverage of the Kraków Bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics (2012–2014)

Kraków was one of the cities which withdrew from the 2022 winter Olympics bidding process. It dropped its bid after residents voted against the local authorities’ plan. The games were to be organized together with Slovakia. The initial positive public reception was based on the assumption that the games might bring in investment, boost the economy and increase tourism. The opposition against Krakow’s bid quickly grew, reaching its peak in late 2013 and early 2014. The emergence and modus operandi of the anti-Olympic movement, which ultimately ended the bid, attracted the attention of Polish media. Critics raised the huge costs and the question of sports facilities which would have little use after the games. The group Kraków Against the Olympics called for a referendum, which demonstrated that the majority of the voters rejected the idea of organizing the games. Local and national media criticism, which grew following the bid committee’s actions, contributed to the large-scale public opposition.

Correlates of South Korean Public Opinion on Nuclear Proliferation

What explains South Korean public opinion on nuclear weapons development? Despite the US security commitment, most South Koreans consistently support independent nuclear weapons development. To solve this puzzle, we investigate the mechanisms of security threat and security commitment under which individuals develop their opinion on nuclear proliferation. An original survey of 1,988 South Korean adults shows empirically supported correlates of South Korean public opinion on nuclear proliferation. Public support for proliferation is largely shaped by external security threats: nuclear threats from North Korea and China, but also the latent nuclear superiority of Japan. Public opposition to proliferation is fostered by the perceived credibility of the US security commitment, but not by its perceived effectiveness. The results provide insights into South Korean public opinion on nuclear proliferation and can inform the design of a nonproliferation policy tailored to South Korea.

Suppression by Stealth: The Partisan Response to Protest in State Legislatures

Many scholars have investigated the relationship between protest and repression. Less often examined is the legislative suppression of protest by elites seeking to make protest more costly to protesters. Because state legislatures are largely invisible to the public, this “wholesale” suppression of protest is less likely to trigger public opposition than repression by the police. This study explains the sharp increase in the number and the severity of state legislative bills to repress the right to protest both before and after the election of Donald Trump. In particular, it examines whether these can be attributed either to Republican control of state legislatures or to protest threat. Contrary to the findings in much of the literature, bills aimed at suppressing protest are less closely related to threat than to the realignment of state politics. The article also finds that these proposals were influenced by diffusion through policy brokerage.

Labiaplasty: The Stigma Persists.

Heightening interest in labiaplasty has driven potential patients to online fora, permitting the dissemination of material by potentially unqualified or inexperienced individuals. The discourse surrounding this procedure has been injected with strong opinions that are not entirely consistent with medical best-practice or evidence-based knowledge. The aim of this study was to explore the rationale for ongoing public opposition to labiaplasty and to investigate if awareness of the similarities between labiaplasty and breast reduction can alter an individual's perception. Four hundred and forty-eight adult women were surveyed concerning their opinion of a surgical procedure to reduce the size of an unspecified organ related to a woman's sexuality, breast reduction, and labia reduction. Reduction of an unspecified organ and breasts was met with significantly greater acceptance than labia reduction (P < 0.0001). Presenting responders with an educational tool comparing each procedure's indications, risks, and potential benefits did not alter respondent opinions, indicating notions about sexual surgery are relatively fixed. The most common reason respondents persisted in their relative opposition to labia reduction was a perceived deficiency in social acceptance (27.1%), followed by a perceived similarity to female genital mutilation (14.8%). Attitudes towards labiaplasty seem firmly based on emotion or correlation to other unacceptable practices. Informational resources do not sway these biases; thus, there is a limited role for surgeon-led education in the normalization of labiaplasty because it requires a societal shift in acceptance. Labiaplasty is a procedure whose time for popular acceptance has not yet come.

Authors’ Response

Authors’ Response

Religion, Business, and Global Visions: An Exploration of South Korea’s Discourse on Halal

Driven by economic exigencies, the Korean government began to strategize entering the rapidly expanding Islamic economy during the early 2000s. Subsequently, decisions to invest into the global halal market ignited public opposition from Korean evangelicals who rejected the positive economic framing of halal—an Islamic concept most commonly used to inform Muslim dietary laws. Based on fieldwork in Korea and analysis of Korean media sources, this article tracks the development of this “halal discourse” through a frame analysis of the discourses created by the Korean government, economic actors, and anti-halal evangelicals, and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments. As these competing voices debated halal’s place in Korean society, the supporters of halal had to respond to evangelical pushback against halal, leading to notable shifts in the public discourse on halal, an issue that was rooted in deeper underlying debates concerning multiculturalism, globalization, and competing visions of Korea.

Property rights attitudes are a source of public opposition to flood mitigation policies in the United States

AbstractFloods are the costliest disasters in American history—and today, floods are getting both worse and more common. As flooding becomes ever more salient one might expect that public support for flood prevention and mitigation policies would grow, yet we see significant opposition to a wide range of flood policies. We find, across four samples and a range of study designs and measurement strategies, that citizens are more likely to oppose flood mitigation policies when they think the policy in question will harm someone's property rights. This finding has important real‐world implications, as many policy proposals aimed at addressing flood disasters, including approaches as diverse as floodwater diversion and elimination of flood insurance subsidies, can infringe on property rights and interests. This study highlights one tension in addressing flood policy in democratically acceptable ways, and also the important effects that framing can have on mass support for flood mitigation policies.

Blacklist or Short List: Do Employers Discriminate against Union Supporter Job Applicants?

Starting in the 1980s, US employers revived aggressive action against unions. Employers’ public opposition to unions yielded a scholarly consensus that US employers actively and consistently discriminate against union supporters. However, evidence for widespread employer anti-union discrimination is based mainly on employer reactions to rare union organizing campaigns. To measure baseline or preventive anti-union discrimination, the authors field the first ever US-based résumé correspondence study of employer responses to union supporter applicants. Focus is on entry-level, non-college degree jobs and findings show no difference in employer callback rates for union supporter applicants relative to non-union applicants. Drawing on interviews and survey data, the authors suggest that union weakness itself may have hollowed preventive employer discrimination against union supporters.

Polyarchy: The Transition from Democratic Passivity to Democratic Participation A Critique on the Translation Book “Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition”

For more than 40 years, Robert Dahl’s theory of polyarchy democracy has been considered by scholars as one of the most effective, robust, and enlightening forms of contemporary revisionist democratic theory. The English version of this book was published in 1971 and its translation was published in 2018. Polyarchy is defined as a set of institutional arrangements that allow for public opposition and inclusive participation in politics. The central assumption of the sign in this book, which involves a linear process, is that when hegemonic systems and competitive dictatorships move toward multiculturalism, opportunities for effective participation and questioning increase. Therefore, the number of individuals, groups, and interests whose policy priorities are considered increases. In this article, an attempt is made to examine the intellectual background and studies of Robert Dahl over two decades (1970-1950) and to identify the roots of the development of his theory of polyarchy democracy, presented in the form of an independent book, in his earlier works.

Stakeholder views on taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages and its adoption in the Netherlands

SummaryAn increasing number of governments worldwide have introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) for public health. However, the adoption of such a policy is still debated in many other countries, such as in the Netherlands. We investigated Dutch stakeholder views on taxation of SSB and perceived barriers and facilitators to its adoption in the Netherlands. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2019 with 27 stakeholders from health and consumer organizations, health professional associations, trade associations, academia, advisory bodies, ministries and parliamentary parties. Data were analysed using a thematic content approach. The findings reveal that, between and within sectors, stakeholders expressed contradictory views on the effectiveness, appropriateness and (socio)economic effects of an SSB tax. Perceived barriers to the adoption of an SSB tax in the Netherlands included an unfavourable political context, limited advocacy for an SSB tax, a strong lobby against an SSB tax, perceived public opposition, administrative load and difficulties in defining SSB. Perceived facilitators to its adoption included an increasing prevalence of overweight, disappointing results from voluntary industry actions, a change of government, state budget deficits, a shift in public opinion, international recommendations and a solid legal basis. In conclusion, this study shows that several challenges remain to be overcome for the adoption of an SSB tax in the Netherlands. Similar research on stakeholder views in other countries may further inform SSB tax policy processes.

The value of CCUS in transitions to net-zero emissions

The majority of global-scale energy system models find that deep decarbonization to limit anthropogenic global warming to well below 2 °C is infeasible or significantly more costly without carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Yet, there is some dissent amongst academics, businesses, and policymakers regarding the role CCUS can or should play in a low-carbon future. This article explores the value that CCUS provides in time-bound, economy-wide transitions to net-zero emissions (NZE). We consider value on three levels:(a) threshold value, i.e. whether or not CCUS is necessary in economy-wide pathways to NZE;(b) commercial value, i.e. the role of CCUS in minimum-cost pathways to NZE; and(c) option value, i.e. whether or not the inclusion of CCUS in a mitigation portfolio reduces the risk of not meeting NZE given socio-technical uncertainties facing alternative pathways.We review recent global-scale techno-economic modeling studies that describe pathways to NZE by mid-century, and Princeton University’s recent Net-Zero America (NZA) study which provided a granular downscaling of modeled pathways to NZE by 2050 for the lower 48 U.S. states. These complementary studies indicate that getting to NZE without CCUS is costlier, more difficult, and likely not possible in at least some major economies, without breakthrough advances in mitigating hard-to-abate sectors and/or natural climate solutions. CCUS therefore holds both threshold and commercialvalue for NZE transitions.Leveraging the granular results from NZA, we show that CCUS also provides option value in a technology portfolio even when the planned pathway to NZE either does not include or only includes a limited amount of CCUS. The option value exists by providing a hedge against plausible (but hard to anticipate) real-world execution challenges for certain low-cost mitigation pathways, including those related to: capital mobilization; supply chains; siting and permitting; and potential public and political opposition owing to land-use impacts or disaffected industries. Such challenges are plausible for renewables-heavy pathways, which present unprecedented infrastructure pace and scale demands and the potential for social disruption at the community-level for fossil fuel-dependent economies. Finally, we consider what it would take to assure CCUS as a real option for commercial deployment when needed in NZE transitions. Recommendations are provided for how governments might de-risk CCUS value chains and backstop CCUS counterparty risks.

Water Shutoffs During COVID-19 and Black Lives: Case Study Detroit

The present water shutoff crisis in Detroit, which has deepened with the spread of COVID-19, exists within an historical context of decades-old government-sanctioned racial residential segregation policies that continue today. This includes the decrease in black homeownership and wealth, integration, and democratically elected governance. Information collected by local grassroots organizations, Detroit newspaper reports, and academic research, specific to the metropolitan area, reveal the inter-relationships among banking/housing industries, water access, and government policies. The result has been diversions of taxpayer money away from affordable housing, home loans, and public services (i.e., water). Instead, public resources are distributed to support those in powerful political and economic positions. Although water has not been formally privatized, we argue that a system of commodification exists, which taxes/fines the impoverished black population of the City of Detroit, but provides free and/or reduced water rates to the elites and largely white suburban population. The immediate actions required are reconnecting household water, providing affordable housing, redirecting taxpayer funds to the benefit of the public good, and government transparency and accountability. Collaborative networks of local environmental organizations, including mostly black participants, are leading the public opposition to these policies and directly link water shutoffs to public health. We suggest that future research efforts focus on work that increases the public awareness of the systemic linkages among water shutoffs, public health, racist social structures, housing patterns, and government policies. Continued active democratic participation of community residents must be a priority in future research and organizing activities.

PESTEL Analysis Of Waste-to-Energy at TPPAS Regional Nambo

Urbanization and urban development are unavoidable along with the socio-economic development. impact that is a challenge for cities with rapid urbanization, booming economy, the rise in community living standards have increase the amount of waste generation. Solutions are needed that can reduce the impact and the amount of waste produced. Developing countries such as China, Malaysia, India, Thailand and Indonesia began to see waste-to-energy as one of the solutions. Indonesia has begun to build a waste treatment plant that converts waste into power generation, RDF, or other products that have value. In Indonesia the processing of waste into energy in this case RDF was built in Nambo. However, in the process there are variety issues such as political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. The difficulty often faced such as public opposition, poor decision making, financing and others. This research aims to find out what challenges faced in the development and sustainablity of WTE at TPPAS Regional Nambo using analysis PESTEL. WTE project is one of solution to faced the amount of waste that keep increasing every year, because the amount of waste isn’t balance with landfill area. Besides the processing process produces products that have a sale value.

Scaling up urban infrastructure for physical activity in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Scaling up urban infrastructure for physical activity in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

The Future of Food: Understanding Public Preferences for the Management of Agricultural Resources.

The current U.S food system has managed to provide abundant food at a relatively low cost, even as the population increases. However, this unfettered growth is reaching maximum yields as demand for greater food production competes with other uses of agricultural lands. Extant ecological factors such as water scarcity are reducing food productivity, and competition for resources to produce food is becoming more apparent. This research examines public policy preferences of U.S. west coast citizens for the management of agricultural resources through the use of random household surveys. Results suggest overall support among respondents for food policies using regulatory, tax incentive, and voluntary outreach approaches. Multivariate analyses revealed that some social-demography, knowledge, environmental values, political ideology, and environmental efficacy variables were significant predictors of public opposition and support for food policies.