A large-scale experiment in Cobb County, Georgia tested the question of whether voters are more cooperative in general than other citizens. It found that when asked to conserve water during a drought, frequent voters, regardless of political affiliation, made more significant reductions to their water consumption than non-voters.
The experiment compared the response to a three different versions of a conversation message by comparing household water conservation with voting records. Their data analysis showed :
- The most frequently voting households who received a letter reduced their water consumption by an average of 2,507 gallons
- Registered voters with no voting history reduced their water consumption by 691 gallons on average over the summer.
They found no difference between voters with Democratic or Republican voter registration.
Details
The experiment was conducted during May – September 2007.
The analysis compared a control group and three treatment groups:
- An “information only” message that comprised a two-sided tip sheet about ways the household could conserve water.
- The tip sheet plus a pro-social appeal encouraging customers to “do their part” and “work together to use water wisely.”
- The tip sheet, the pro-social appeal, and a social comparison. The social comparison contrasted each household’s water use from June to October 2006 to the median county household use for the same period.
Links
Bolsen, T., Ferraro, P.J, Miranda, J.J. (2104) “Are Voters More Likely to Contribute to Other Public Goods? Evidence from a Large-Scale Randomized Policy Experiment” American Journal of Political Science, Vol 58. No. 1, p. 17-30