A Theoretical Framework for Surveying Citizens' Fiscal Preferences

Bibliographic Data

ID6358675
AuthorsJames M Ferris (corresponding author)
Year1982
Volume42
Issue3
Pages213-213
Publication date1982-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Administration Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-3352 • E-ISSN: 1540-6210
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.2307/976006
OpenAlexW2333164412
LanguageEN
Citations received8

Survey research has been advocated as a vehicle for eliciting information relevant to the policy decisions of public administrators as evidenced by recent articles in the Public Administration Review.' To the extent that public policy makers feel entrusted to satisfy constituent preferences, it is imperative they be cognizant of citizens' attitudes toward fiscal policy issues. The citizen, in effect, should be viewed as a consumer. Random sample surveys of the population provide data which increase the public administrator's awareness of citizen attitudes and, thus, facilitate the satisfying of citizen preferences. Sample survey data permit inferences to be made about the fiscal preferences of all citizens, not just those who actively participate in the political process via special interest groups.2 The potential of attitudinal surveys of individuals' public sector preferences for improving public sector budgeting and financing decisions is underscored by the closer scrutiny given to public expenditure and revenue policies in an era of fiscal retrenchment. Properly designed survey instruments can elicit information pertaining to various dimensions of public sector expenditure and revenue decisions: (1) desired spending levels and (2) desired financing schemes.3 In ascertaining citizen fiscal preferences, it is desirable to develop survey instruments based on an explicit theory. A theoretical framework aids in questionnaire design. It permits development of attitudinal questions which accurately reflect the preferences of interest to policy makers as well as the identification of relevant social, economic, and demographic attributes of the respondents necessary for analysis and interpretation. Equally important, survey research based on an explicit theoretical framework provides a better understanding of the determinants of citizen preferences. This knowledge permits the prediction of shifts in fiscal preferences resulting from changes in the socio-demographic profile of the constituency or the fiscal environment. Wellarticulated and properly designed survey research provides public officials making public spending and financing decisions with additional information of citizens' fiscal preferences. Such information will enhance their ability to make responsive decisions. The purpose of this paper is to articulate a model of citizen public sector fiscal preferences which serves these purposes. Based on the economic theory of consumer

Economics · Political science · Public economics · Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Housing Market and Economics · Public Administration

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub