Inequality and Government Responsiveness: Evidence from Salient Wildfire Events

• In Event: Representation, Inequality and Geography in Environmental and Climate Governance

Abstract

We frequently assume, and some evidence has shown, that in a democratic system public participation in governmental decisions leads to better outcomes. In this paper, we use plausibly exogenous focusing events, which raise the salience of an issue among the public, to show that public agency decision-making based on public demands can raise equity concerns. Focusing specifically on the case of wildfires and wildfire risk management in the western U.S., we find that when communities experience nearby wildfire events, it raises the salience of wildfire risk and leads agencies to place a greater number of wildfire risk reduction projects nearby. However, salience-based decision-making does not benefit all communities equally. We find that nearby fires increase rates of fuel treatment particularly among whiter and wealthier communities, and communities in which the local U.S. representative serves on a relevant Congressional committee. Although there is growing evidence of inequality in legislative representation, this is the first evidence that we know of showing that agencies perpetuate inequality, via the behavioral biases of the public.

Author

• Sarah Anderson, University of California, Santa Barbara