Resource Type: Field Research

In an effort to address political inequality and encourage greater election participation, Seattle, Washington enacted an innovative democracy voucher program to provide each registered voter four $25 vouchers each election cycle to contribute towards local candidates. A field experiment in 2017 examined the effects of outreach to underrepresented communities to encourage participation in the voucher program. The experiment found that outreach increased the use of vouchers, particularly among high-propensity voters; however, deeper organizingmay be needed to reach the voucher program’s redistributive goals.

American’s external political efficacy – the belief that one can influence government decisions – has been on the decline over the last several decades. Greater involvement in civic associations may help to reverse this. Analyzing a panel dataset of several hundred environmental association members, this study found that as members got to know their association’s chapter leaders, external efficacy increased.

Consider the range of motivations that bring people to climate protests when designing events and outreach. Interviews with 64 attendees at the September, 2019 climate strikes in Europe and North America revealed a great deal of variation in their knowledge levels, emotions and motivations. A surprising number were not very knowledgeable about climate change, only half had been involved in previous climate protests before, and a substantial minority were motivated by a general sense of solidarity and desire to be part of a protest movement, and not necessarily specific concern about climate. Among a diversity of emotions regarding climate change, fear and hope were the most common. The authors therefore developed a typology of climate protestors: Frontline, Responsible, Latent, Disengaged, Opportunistic, Parallel, and Sceptical.