For practitioners: trust-building can't be one-size-fits-all. Transparency and engagement are valuable but may not reach people who associate legitimacy with centralized authority. Fostering public service values may be an especially effective lever.
However, among those individuals, moving from low to high PSM is associated with a 40+ percentage point increase in the probability of reporting high trust. Without strong order preferences, the same PSM increase produces only a modest effect.
Using 2023 CES data, we find that individual psychological orientations matter. People who prioritize conformity, order, and deference to established institutions trust state and federal governments more, but that orientation doesn't translate to local government.
Excited to share new open-access research with @jaclynpiatak.bsky.social in The American Review of Public Administration.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10....
I have a new paper out in Administration & Society (open access!): state government union membership is not significantly associated with higher aggregate payroll spending, 1992–2018. Unions still win wage premiums for members, but those gains appear offset elsewhere.
doi.org/10.1177/0095....
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wataugaonline.com/blowing-rock...
@pareview.bsky.social
Article 2 w/ @jaclynpiatak.bsky.social uses 2023 CES data to show that political knowledge and public service motivation, not ideology, are linked to support for merit-based civil service protections, highlighting broad, cross-ideological backing for meritocratic governance.
doi.org/10.1111/puar...
Excited to share two new Public Administration Review articles now online.
Article 1 reviews 221 studies (1980–2022) on rural public organizations, finding growing attention—but fragmented definitions of “rural” and limited non-U.S. coverage.
🔗 doi.org/10.1111/puar...
Excited to see our PAR article out now and #OpenAccess!!
@colt-jensen.bsky.social and I find that political knowledge and public service motivation (PSM) are positively correlated with favorable perceptions of current merit system protections.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Would this be the first ever neutral site game for the rivalry?
Congratulations!!
Screenshot of Table 1 from article linked to later in thread. Summary stats (means). Equity 2.982. Efficiency 2.964. Effectiveness 3.199. Representation 3.136. N = 814; Response options: Not Important at all (0), Of little importance (1), Of average importance (2), Very Important (3), Absolutely Essential (4).
🧵I was surprised to find that people rate representation as more important than equity or efficiency, when asked to assess values for public services. From my latest work with @jaclynpiatak.bsky.social @colt-jensen.bsky.social & @minjungckim.bsky.social
This builds upon my @pareview.bsky.social article with @colt-jensen.bsky.social on public value and service delivery preferences: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Check out our latest ARPA @aspanational.bsky.social article: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
@nathanfavero.com, @colt-jensen.bsky.social, @minjungckim.bsky.social, & I examine how political ideology & public service motivation influence public value preferences.
This article also features my new institutional affiliation! I will be joining the UNC School of Government this Fall.
The first paper from my dissertation has been published & is now available open access in ARPA. The article explores urban–rural capacity disparities by distinguishing public management characteristics that make a public sector org rural rather than merely small.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Kick off your Friday at #PMRC2025 with a presentation on voting-related administrative burdens and their effects on trust in government and democratic participation. (9:30 in Room K-109, Bldg. 57-1)
It's great to be in Seoul, South Korea for #PMRC2025
How can governments build the trust needed for successful AI policy formulation & implementation?
We find that some forms of engagement are positively associated with trust in AI:
1️⃣ Involving non-scientists in the scientific process
2️⃣ Attending science museums
3️⃣ Completing scientific coursework
I am excited that my most recent manuscript, co-authored with Charlie Chen, is now available online in the Journal of Global Public Policy and Governance!
One of our key findings is that Euroscepticism and pessimism about AI often go hand in hand.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
🎉 New Attendee Welcome Reception | PMRC 2025
😍 Please join with SNU conference leadership and our PMRA Board as we welcome you to Seoul. There will be Korean street food-style finger foods and beverages.
📅 Date: June 25, 2025
⏰ Time: 5 PM
📍 Location: 1st Floor Lobby, SNU GSPA
Excited to present twice at #ASPA2025 tomorrow as part of the 11th Deil Wright Symposium!
If you're interested in tribal intergovernmental relations, join me at 10:45 AM, and for insights on the public's preferences for intergovernmental service delivery, stop by at 1:15 PM.
My wife Ashby has watched maybe 30 minutes of basketball this year, so naturally she has one of the 8,000 remaining perfect brackets of the 34 million tracked by NCAA.com
Want to talk about how you can target your research to JPART?
We are offering 1:1 meet the editors sessions at #ASPA2025 & #IRSPM2025 & #PMRC2025 & #EGPA2025
We start with ASPA in D.C. next week - book your time below:
calendar.app.google/Fh9YAJviLdwK...
@sassmikkelsen.bsky.social
I have loved starting my career at Georgia Southern University! The department is full of great people doing fantastic work.
If you are on the #PAJobMarket this spring, I highly recommend considering this position.
Feel feee to reach out if you have any questions about this position.
This was a great read! I think Ponce went to FIU not Richmond, but I was shocked by the AJ Howard to USC news. I totally missed that
First ever sole-authored R&R!!
Annual Awards: Call for Nominations The ASPA Section on Intergovernmental Administration & Management (SIAM) is currently soliciting nominations for the section’s annual awards, which will be presented at the 2025 ASPA conference during the SIAM business meeting. Please consider submitting nominations and/or forwarding this call for nominations to your colleagues. Nominees and nominators need not be members of SIAM. The awards include the following: Donald C. Stone Practitioner Award (recognizes outstanding practitioners for their contributions to intergovernmental management). The principal criteria for the Practitioner award include: 1. Significant contributions to the practice of intergovernmental relations over a substantial period of time. 2. Contributions that have made an impact on the practice of intergovernmental management as a whole rather than only on a specific organization, institution, or function. Donald C. Stone Distinguished Scholar Award (recognizes distinguished scholars for their contributions to intergovernmental management). The principal criteria for the Distinguished Scholar Award include: 1. Significant contributions to the study of intergovernmental relations over a substantial period of time. 2. Contributions that have made an impact on the study of intergovernmental management as a whole rather than only on a specific organization, institution, or function. Donald C. Stone Best Student Paper Award (recognizes the best paper on federalism and intergovernmental relations written by a graduate student in 2024). 1. The Best Student Paper Award comes with $250 to support travel to the ASPA conference 2. Nominations should include an electronic copy of the nominated paper. SIAM “Legacy Award” (recognizes an individual whose career has centered on advancing the study and practice of federalism in multiple roles). Criteria for selection includes the following: 1. The successful candidate will have significantly contribut…
SIAM, the intergovernmental section of ASPA, is seeking nominations for our annual awards (due Feb 14). See the details below. I am happy to answer questions (Meg Rubado, Cleveland State, is chairing the committee).