Does Race Affect Public Evaluations of Constituent Messages in Local Government Meetings? Results from an Experiment
| Published date | 01 May 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/14789299231187225 |
| Author | Bai Linh Hoang |
| Date | 01 May 2024 |
https://doi.org/10.1177/14789299231187225
Political Studies Review
2024, Vol. 22(2) 436 –446
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/14789299231187225
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Does Race Affect Public
Evaluations of Constituent
Messages in Local Government
Meetings? Results from
an Experiment
Bai Linh Hoang
Abstract
Constituents in the United States have used local public meetings in recent years to shape policy
on some of the most high-profile race-related issues. However, public meeting participation
remains less studied relative to other modes of participation. This study investigates the extent to
which race shapes the way a message is heard and evaluated by the public audience and the degree
to which its impact depends on the issue of the message. To carry out the study, I set up a 2 × 3
experiment containing six short treatment videos in which I manipulated the race of the actor/
speaker (Black or White) and the message issue (innocuous service request, race-related policy,
and race-neutral policy). Subjects were randomly assigned to watch one of the six videos and
then asked to evaluate the message in the video. The early results of this study show that unlike
previous studies revealing racial bias in a range of political contexts in the United States, race
exerts neither independent nor conditional effects on the evaluation of the message as reasonable.
I discuss the limitations and implications of these findings and useful considerations to think about
in expanding this study.
Keywords
experiments, race and ethnic politics, political communication, urban politics, public meetings
Accepted: 22 June 2023
Introduction
Constituents use local public meetings to influence policy-making in a variety of impor-
tant areas, such as zoning, redevelopment, and the budget. However, what remains under-
studied, despite an increasing interest in listening as a practice essential to a well-functioning
Department of Political Science, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, USA
Corresponding author:
Bai Linh Hoang, Department of Political Science, The University of Texas at Arlington, 701 South
Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX 76019, USA.
Email: bailinh.hoang@uta.edu
1187225PSW0010.1177/14789299231187225Political Studies ReviewHoang
research-article2023
Early Results
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