Responsiveness in American Local Governments

Abstract

Does the disposition of public opinion affect the progressivism of public policy? While scholars devote a significant amount of attention to opinion–policy linkages at the national, state, and even county levels in such a manner, a similarly defined relationship in local domains remains untested. In this research note, the author offers an alternative for understanding local representation through an investigation of the relationship between the public’s ideology and government spending patterns in twenty-six urban areas across multiple policy areas. The results indicate that the ideological preferences of citizens are reflected in the spending decisions of governments.