When citizens perceive government as responsive, they're more likely to make claims. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-political-science/article/escaping-the-disengagement-dilemma-two-field-experiments-on-motivating-citizens-to-report-on-public-services/18314789FA75DD9E632CDD5F2D4FD429

This paper uses a neat identification strategy & persuasively demonstrates an important causal mechanism

But if I may make a few meta-comments about field experiments...

What happens next?

This shows feedback, but is it enough to create a self-sustaining positive feedback loop?

whereby citizens' heightened expectations of responsive governance increase reporting, motivating improved service delivery?

Or not? Maybe there are obstacles?

I raise this meta-point because I see many field experiments of this kind: identifying causal mechanisms by observing the effects of X.

And my reply is great, that's one part of the chain, certainly valuable, but what happens next?

Yes, heightened expectations may increase reporting in one year

But is this enough to sustain a positive feedback loop over time?

Because it's that positive feedback loop (iterative process of claims making, demands, aspirations, concessions) that actually improves governance.

UPDATE! In a subsequent paper, the authors DO explore what happened next.. I'd love to see more field experiments & scholars of other methodological persuasions trace what enables or prevents positive feedback loops. Thanks Mark! https://twitter.com/MarkBuntaine/status/1194675305937424384?s=20

Anyway, I'd love to hear feedback* from other field experimenters.. What do you think of my concern? My objection to 'experiment and go'? Is this an unfair slur? Is it something that can be addressed?

*apologies for the obvious & terrible pun.

Moral outrage -> protests.

If sustained, social movements can build effective resistance

But this is uncommon!

So we really need to trace change over time, to understand how movements are sustained (or not) - like these two new books on &

If we consider phenomena that have shaped our world today: the industrial revolution, democratisation, women's leadership

These are all positive feedback loops

Why didn't they stall? Why were they sustained?

To answer these questions, we need more info than one-off effects.

TROLL ME IF YOU DISAGREE

1) Socio/econ/political progress occurs IFF built up over a 10yr + feedback loops

2) (1) is important, uncommon, & poorly understood

3) Observing one-off effects does not help us understand (1)

4) We should do more to identify the causes of (1).

** i'm being very generous with (1). my own preference is to think in terms of 30 year periods...

My concerns also apply to cross-sectional studies

Eg 'Citizens living near mass public shootings are more likely to prefer gun control' (an article in the latest BJPS)

OK

What happens next?

Are they more likely to effectively mobilise?
Do preferences -> successful activism?

Some polls indicate growing support for immigration.

But, we don't know why this has happened:
- Growing familiarity with migrants, post 2004?
- Knowing someone now at risk?
- Positive media framing?

Isn't this a core question?
Why have our compatriots become more supportive?