Protection or Coercion? Public Preferences for Government Buyout Programs

• In Event: Experimental Methods in Global Environmental Politics

Abstract

While most Americans prefer limited government involvement in their lives, they unequivocally hold the government responsible for disaster relief and response. One policy to address rising damage from disaster events has been the expansion of government programs for property buyouts, or the purchase of damaged or at-risk private properties to enable the relocation of American families and businesses. These programs can offer protection from physical harm and the financial costs of disaster exposure, but they can also be coercive and encroach on personal liberties. In two experiments, we ask under what conditions publics are willing to accept, or even demand, government involvement in their lives, even when it is coercive. First, in a large national survey of U.S. residents, we use a conjoint experiment to assess how the public balances expectations for a government role in providing security against opposition to coercive policy in their assessments of buyout programs. Respondents, on average, favor programs that are voluntary and minimize disruption. However, they have a higher tolerance for mandatory buyouts if they have prior experience with flooding or higher perceived hazard exposure, suggesting potentially higher support for mandatory buyouts as hazards increase; we also observe a higher tolerance for coercion among Democrats. In a second, ongoing experiment, we test whether the surprising tolerance for coercion in the context of buyouts aimed at addressing climate risks extends to other motivations, such as economic development or infrastructure projects, and whether it is heightened when people are reminded about extreme weather risks. Our results suggest that Americans’ dedication to private property rights are a substantial, but perhaps not insurmountable, barrier to coercive policies for reducing exposure to climate-related risks.

Authors

• Sara Constantino, Northeastern University

• Alicia Dailey Cooperman, George Washington University

• Megan Mullin, University of California, Los Angeles