Document Type
Article
Source Publication Title
PLoS ONE
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311054
Abstract
Given the national attention on Texas and its school board meetings, we ask—what are the effects of a contentious political atmosphere on desires to run for higher office? Further, how does this experience interact with individual-level traits to affect ambition? To investigate, we distributed a survey to elected school board trustees in Texas and analyzed quantitative and qualitative responses from 380 respondents. We find divergent paths, with some inspired and others deterred from future politics. Specifically, city residents were more affected, positively or negatively, than rural residents. Political newcomers, those feeling qualified, and Democrats were more likely to express higher ambition. In qualitative comments, the inspired wanted to make a difference, serve as a quality candidate, and repre- sent others; the discouraged were upset by partisan politics, personal attacks, and constituents’ behaviors. Overall, these findings suggest that the larger political climate matters in shaping which individuals embrace or exit politics.
Disciplines
Anthropology | Education | Political Science | Sociology
Publication Date
12-5-2024
Language
English
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Bergstrand, Kelly; Shelton, Beth Anne; and Deen, Rebecca E., "The Inspired and the Discouraged: School Board Service and Differential Effects on Political Ambition" (2024). Open Initiatives Grant Funded Publications. 6.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/utalibraries_openinitiativespubs/6