Funded Research

In this project, we investigate whether and how national policy advocacy networks can systematically reshape local policymaking. We use the case of a SPN-supported and ALEC-member initiated policy change in Texas that requires the ballot text of school bonds to end with "THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE." We use both differences-in-differences (DiD) analysis and two survey experiments nationally and in Texas to examine the effect of such a policy change. This research contributes new knowledge on the advantages of political organizations and the impacts of their advocacy within multilevel governance systems. Prior work has shown that national organizations like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN) adeptly navigate the informational asymmetries and institutional vulnerabilities within state-level political systems, particularly where legislative capacity is relatively weak. We extend this work by shining light on the mechanisms of influence when such networks attempt to shape local governance. We demonstrate that national policy advocacy groups can and do shape local democratic decision making by leveraging their state influence to change how local decisions are made.