A presentation by Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, Associate Professor of Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. This event is part of the Political Economy Lunch Seminar (PELS).
Cities in the U.S. often feature public services that pale in comparison to their peers among global cities. Do voters hold specific local elected officials accountable for performance in important local policy areas such as the economy, crime, street repair, or schools? Urban politics – and the provision of public services in U.S. cities – are defined by both complex jurisdictions with shared overlapping authority and a paucity of information about local governments. I leverage new data from post-election surveys in numerous cities across the U.S., alongside macro-level data on thousands of local elections for mayor, city council, and school board over the last three decades combined with performance data to assess retrospective voting in cities across policy areas. I zero in on important case studies of public services – road repair in Oakland, CA, and public transit in Boston, MA – to unpack the micro-level barriers to accountability in cities. The bevy of data that I use throughout the book paints a picture contrary to many popular conceptions of local governments as those “closest to the people.” Instead, institutional complexity and information deficits contribute to a fog of accountability in urban politics. American cities – and the voters who live there – suffer as a result.
No prior registration necessary. If you have any questions or would like to arrange a meeting with Justin, please reach out to Amanda Slater at slater[at]hertie-school[dot]org.