New research challenges long-held assumptions about municipal politics.

Research Context & Methodology

The study leverages recent advances in opinion estimation to measure mean policy conservatism across U.S. cities with populations over 20,000.

Key Question Addressed Did the assumption of non-ideological municipal politics hold true?

Central Finding Contrary to previous beliefs, city policies nationwide align closely with citizens' liberal-conservative leanings on national issues.

Institutional Influence Assessment The study evaluates several governance structures: presence of an elected mayor, use of popular initiatives, partisan election systems, term limits for officials, and at-large electoral arrangements.

Discoveries & Implications These institutional features show minimal consistent impact on how responsive municipal governments are to citizens' policy preferences. This suggests that descriptive representation — the idea that local governance reflects public opinion despite non-ideological expectations — is central in many urban contexts.

Policy Takeaway The results cast doubt on simple institutional reforms as a reliable strategy for boosting responsiveness in city government.