Electoral Consequences of Neighborhood Improvement Projects

Abstract

The urban politics literature, excepting referenda studies, has ignored local electoral behavior as an indicator of citizen response to local policy decisions. The article examines the possibility that neighborhood improvement projects may result in negative voter feedback if such projects are causing disruption at the time of an election. Public construc tion and voting data were collected for a mayoralty election in a major midwestern city and aggregated at the precinct level. Analysis of the data suggests that local officials must be conscious of the potential costs, as well as benefits, of public works projects if they expect to reap electoral rewards for their efforts.