(iPoster) Federal Agency Location and Its Consequences

• In Event: Poster Sessions: Public Administration & Political Organizations and Parties
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Public Administration

Abstract

The geographic allocation of federal agency offices is not evenly distributed across the United States. Further, there have been calls to reallocate some departmental offices to other regions of the country. However, there is limited evidence on the consequences of the geographic placement of federal agency offices. We argue that because federal agencies can play a significant role in local economies, their presence can influence voter behavior. In particular, we hypothesize that precincts closer to federal agency offices are associated with higher voter turnout in elections. We test this hypothesis using geospatial analysis and find evidence consistent with our expectations. These findings speak to the political consequences of reallocating federal agencies.

Authors

• Jason S. Byers, University of Connecticut

• Laine Shay, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi