Alexandra Artiles, assistant professor of political science, published a journal article about how political beliefs affect how local (municipal) officials in Canada respond to rules from provincial governments. Artiles surveyed over 700 officials and asked them to read a made-up situation where a new provincial government wants to pass environmental laws that stop cities from making their own.
Officials were split into three groups: one where the province had similar political views, one with different views and one with no political information. The results showed that officials were much more against the new laws when the province had different political beliefs than their own. These officials also wanted more say in the decision, like being asked for their opinion or even needing to approve the changes. Based on the result of this study, Artiles concluded that political beliefs do matter in local politics and can affect how city officials react when bigger governments try to take control over certain issues like the environment.
Contact alexandraartiles@boisestate.edu to read the full article.