scholarly journals Risk and Reform: Explaining Support for Constitutional Convention Referendums

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-355
Author(s):  
William D. Blake ◽  
Ian G. Anson
Keyword(s):  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Performance Evaluations ◽  
Government Performance ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Constitutional Convention ◽  
Positive Performance ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Election Polls

Scholars of comparative constitution-making and direct democracy agree that economic conditions affect public support for constitutional reform but disagree as to how. Prospect theory suggests both approaches may be correct, depending on the political and economic context in which voters operate. Fourteen states periodically ask their citizens whether to call a state constitutional convention, making this the oldest form of direct democracy in the United States. We test our theory in pre-election polls in two of these states and a survey experiment. According to the results, negative perceptions of economic and government performance increase support for conventions when voters view them as opportunities to correct problems. On the other hand, if a convention represents a chance to improve on an acceptable status quo, voters with positive performance evaluations become more supportive. Our findings contribute to the heuristics literature and inform normative debates over direct democracy and popular constitutionalism.

scholarly journals Messaging to Increase Public Support for Naloxone Distribution Policies in the United States: Results from a Randomized Survey Experiment

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. e0130050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus A. Bachhuber ◽  
Emma E. McGinty ◽  
Alene Kennedy-Hendricks ◽  
Jeff Niederdeppe ◽  
Colleen L. Barry
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Experiment

scholarly journals Performance Information, Racial Bias, and Citizen Evaluations of Government: Evidence from Two Studies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A Porumbescu ◽  
Suzanne J Piotrowski ◽  
Vincent Mabillard
Keyword(s):  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Racial Bias ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Organizations ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
Performance Evaluations ◽  
Performance Information ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
Positive Performance ◽  
Two Samples

Abstract Social accountability reforms emphasize expanding performance information disclosure and incorporating citizen feedback into performance evaluations of public organizations. However, social accountability scholarship has largely ignored possible discriminatory implications of performance information use despite calls for more social equity research. We look to bridge these two literatures, arguing that increasing exposure to performance information can actually activate racial bias in citizen feedback. Using two samples of White MTurk participants residing in the United States, we test this argument in a Negative Performance Information Study (n = 800) and a Positive Performance Information Study (n = 800). In the Negative Performance Information Study, we find increased exposure to negative performance information triggers more negative performance evaluations of public organizations led by Black public managers, but not White public managers, and strengthens preferences to fire Black public managers, but not White public managers. In the Positive Performance Information Study, we find increased exposure to positive performance information has no impact on performance evaluations of Black, nor White public managers but strengthens preferences to reappoint White, but not Black public managers. These findings suggest increasing exposure to performance information triggers racial bias in performance evaluations and preferences for holding public managers accountable.

scholarly journals A Survey Experiment on Citizens’ Preferences for ‘Vote–Centric’ vs. ‘Talk–Centric’ Democratic Innovations with Advisory vs. Binding Outcomes

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastien Rojon ◽  
Arieke J. Rijken ◽  
Bert Klandermans
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Participatory Decision Making ◽  
Public Meetings ◽  
The Many ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk ◽  
Ordinary Citizens

Previous research on public support for participatory decision-making fails to distinguish between vote-centric (referendums and initiatives) and talk-centric (deliberative-style meetings) instruments, despite a deliberative turn in democratic theory suggesting that political discussion among ordinary citizens improves decision-making. In an online factorial survey experiment conducted among a sample of 960 Americans recruited on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, we compared support for the use of referendums and public meetings, arguing that attitudes towards these instruments depend on whether they are used to inform legislators or take binding decisions. Public meetings were rated considerably lower than referendums and initiatives, especially when the outcomes were binding. Contrary to expectations, we did not find a preference for binding (over advisory) referendums and individuals from referendum and initiative states, where these instruments are legally binding, expressed less support for binding participatory reforms than individuals from non-direct democratic states. Despite the many critiques of direct democracy, public debate in the US has not considered whether advisory outcomes might appease some of these concerns. The results also demonstrated that individuals expressing concerns about the inability of ordinary citizens to understand politics and about the welfare of minority groups were not as negative about participatory decision-making when legislators had the final say.

Questions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Gibson ◽  
Michael J. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Supreme Court ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
White Americans ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
The U.S

We have investigated the differences in support for the U.S. Supreme Court among black, Hispanic, and white Americans, catalogued the variation in African Americans’ group attachments and experiences with legal authorities, and examined how those latter two factors shape individuals’ support for the U.S. Supreme Court, that Court’s decisions, and for their local legal system. We take this opportunity to weave our findings together, taking stock of what we have learned from our analyses and what seem like fruitful paths for future research. In the process, we revisit Positivity Theory. We present a modified version of the theory that we hope will guide future inquiry on public support for courts, both in the United States and abroad.

The Oklahoma State Constitution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny M. Adkison ◽  
Lisa McNair Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Progressive Era ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Constitutional Development ◽  
Legal Decisions ◽  
United States Today ◽  
William Jennings Bryan ◽  
Constitutional Evolution ◽  
State Constitutional Law ◽  
Broad Understanding

In 1907, William Jennings Bryan described the proposed constitution for Oklahoma as “the best constitution in the United States today.” An enduring characteristic of Oklahoma’s constitution has been its faith in direct democracy and its root in Progressive Era politics. This book traces the historical formation and constitutional development of the state of Oklahoma. It provides commentary and analysis on the intent, politics, social and economic pressures, and the legal decisions that shaped and enhanced the Oklahoma constitution since it was adopted in 1907. The text gives a broad understanding of state constitutional law within the context of Oklahoma’s constitutional evolution.

scholarly journals Cyber Terrorism and Public Support for Retaliation – A Multi-Country Survey Experiment

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Ryan Shandler ◽  
Michael L. Gross ◽  
Sophia Backhaus ◽  
Daphna Canetti
Keyword(s):  
Television News ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Randomized Experiments ◽  
Cyber Terrorism ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Terror Attacks ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Psychological Mechanism

Abstract Does exposure to cyber terrorism prompt calls for retaliatory military strikes? By what psychological mechanism does it do so? Through a series of controlled, randomized experiments, this study exposed respondents (n = 2,028) to television news reports depicting cyber and conventional terror attacks against critical infrastructures in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel. The findings indicate that only lethal cyber terrorism triggers strong support for retaliation. Findings also confirm that anger bridges exposure to cyber terrorism and retaliation, rather than psychological mechanisms such as threat perception or anxiety as other studies propose. These findings extend to the cyber realm a recent trend that views anger as a primary mechanism linking exposure to terrorism with militant preferences. With cyber terrorism a mounting international concern, this study demonstrates how exposure to this threat can generate strong public support for retaliatory policies, depending on the lethality of the attack.

Racial Sentiment and Public Support for Arming Teachers with Guns in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 215336872110389
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Baranauskas
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Racial Issue ◽  
Racial Resentment ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Negative Feelings

In the effort to prevent school shootings in the United States, policies that aim to arm teachers with guns have received considerable attention. Recent research on public support for these policies finds that African Americans are substantially less likely to support them, indicating that support for arming teachers is a racial issue. Given the racialized nature of support for punitive crime policies in the United States, it is possible that racial sentiment shapes support for arming teachers as well. This study aims to determine the association between two types of racial sentiment—explicit negative feelings toward racial/ethnic minority groups and racial resentment—and support for arming teachers using a nationally representative data set. While explicit negative feelings toward African Americans and Hispanics are not associated with support for arming teachers, those with racial resentments are significantly more likely to support arming teachers. Racial resentment also weakens the effect of other variables found to be associated with support for arming teachers, including conservative ideology and economic pessimism. Implications for policy and research are discussed.

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