Project Summary
Transportation infrastructure projects–including the California High-Speed Rail project–often spark public debates that stem from a mix of economic and ideological factors. On the economic side, transportation investments tend to benefit some regions or groups while neglecting or negatively impacting others. Ideologically and politically, public views and policymaker decisions are shaped by preferences for collective goods, environmental concerns, and/or political affiliations.
This project uses the California High Speed Rail (CHSR) project as a case study for analyzing the relative importance of economic versus political/ideological factors in shaping preferences for large transportation projects among voters and policymakers. The project includes four steps: 1) create an economic model to assess CHSR benefits across census tracts, considering factors like time and cost savings and their impact on income, land prices, productivity, and jobs; 2) analyze voting data from 2008’s Proposition 1A and the model predictions to understand how votes respond to income gains and political ideology; 3) evaluate the significance of economic versus ideological factors in influencing voter preferences and predict the impact of alternative CHSR designs; and 4) use the CHSR route and political support data to identify station placements influenced by regional factors, voter support, and income maximization.
