The CASSM Colloquium Series is a space for researcher's interested in receiving feedback on their experimental designs prior to gathering any data. The abstract for this week's presenter can be found below.
Abstract
Achieving ambitious climate targets requires both effective policy instruments and sustained public acceptance. While existing research identifies perceived fairness as an important determinant of climate policy support, the causal effects of procedural fairness in energy-related decision-making remain underexplored. This study investigates how emphasising procedural fairness in climate policy-making influences citizens’ acceptance of wind energy policies in Germany, with particular attention to the role of trust in government. Using theories of procedural justice and political representation, this study employs a quantitative survey experiment to explore whether different forms of citizen representation in decision-making increase policy acceptance. This study will aim to use 620–650 respondents residing in Germany using Prolific. Respondents will be assigned to one of three experimental conditions: a decision-making process emphasising descriptive representation, one emphasising substantive representation, or an expert-driven control condition. To measure policy acceptance and perceived procedural fairness, Likert scales will be used. Applying regression and mediation analyses, the relationship between procedural fairness, policy acceptance, and trust in government will be examined. The study hypothesises that emphasising procedural fairness increases acceptance of wind energy policies and explores whether trust in government helps explain this relationship. By providing experimental evidence on the role of representative decision-making in climate governance, the research aims to contribute to debates on procedural justice, democratic legitimacy, and the conditions necessary for a socially acceptable energy transition.
