Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2013 Civic Paternalism in Political Policymaking: The Justification for No-Vote Stadium Subsidies and the Public Response Timothy B. Kellison Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION CIVIC PATERNALISM IN POLITICAL POLICYMAKING: THE JUSTIFICATION FOR NO-VOTE STADIUM SUBSIDIES AND THE PUBLIC RESPONSE By TIMOTHY B. KELLISON A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sport Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2013 Timothy B. Kellison defended this dissertation on March 18, 2013. The members of the supervisory committee were: Jeffrey D. James Professor Directing Dissertation Gerald R. Ferris University Representative Timothy S. Chapin Committee Member Yu Kyoum Kim Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii For Rosemary – I often wonder how far I would have made it without you and it gives me nightmares. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To recognize in this space all of the individuals who have had a profound impact on my personal and professional development is an unreasonable undertaking. The completion of this dissertation depended on the wide-ranging contributions of many individuals, including mentors, colleagues, friends, and strangers. Here I hope to identify at least those who made this project possible. Each member of my dissertation committee is deserving of special mention and pages of thanks, but because they are urging my timely completion of this dissertation, I am settling for just a few words. As a group, the members of my committee provided me with unanticipated levels of confidence and support. As individuals, they lent much time, encouragement, and expertise, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with each professor. Jeffrey James has been a constant beacon of support throughout my time at Florida State, and I am grateful for his willingness to always find time to meet and discuss the many crises a doctoral student always seems to encounter. Similarly, Y.K. Kim is deserving of much credit for my successes, and his passion for research and the care he shows for his students are qualities I will seek to replicate in my own career. The university distinguishes the above-named committee members from the remaining two, who are classified as outside committee members, but I fail to see the difference. Gerald Ferris has left a permanent impression on the way I envision the faculty–student mentorship process, and I owe a great deal of thanks for his support of this project; without question, this dissertation could not have been completed without his encouragement. Likewise, Tim Chapin has been instrumental in the development of this project, and I am thankful he agreed to advise a then-unknown doctoral student in an independent study that ultimately led to this dissertation. In addition to their technical expertise, each of the members of my committee has truly invested in my academic and professional development, for which I am sincerely grateful. In addition to the professors listed above, I have benefitted significantly from the support of other individuals at Florida State and elsewhere. Very early in the process, Michael Mondello exhibited much faith in my research abilities. He provided me with autonomy and confidence that enabled me to develop this project and see it through to the end. Mary Stutzman might as well be a fifth committee member because she has dedicated much of her time and energy to ensure that my data collection proceeded without issue. Special thanks must also be given to her staff at the FSU iv Survey Research Laboratory, particularly Brian Walls. Furthermore, the completion of this study was made possible through the generous support of FSU’s Graduate School, Research Foundation, and Department of Sport Management. I would also like to extend my sincerest appreciation to Linda Deitch, Archives and Collections Manager at The Columbus Dispatch, who graciously led my search for press clippings of past stadium referenda and initiatives in central Ohio. I also owe acknowledgment to the large number of faculty at Capital University, Columbus State Community College, The Ohio State University, and Otterbein University who agreed to help recruit participants for the pilot study. As any graduate of a doctoral program can attest, the love and support of colleagues, friends, and family are two of the most important contributors to success. I have benefitted greatly by being in a department with some of the best and brightest young scholars in our field, and they have been a key source of strength throughout this journey. I know they will accomplish many great things. While I have certainly worked for my academic successes, I have also been the recipient of an immense amount of luck. Perhaps nowhere else is this fortune more evident than in my family background. Growing up, education was always an important part of my life, and the academic foundation laid by my mom and dad for their kids deserves some credit for my career decision. My wife, Rosemary, deserves the rest. The support of my family during this process meant everything. Lastly, I must thank the policymakers in Franklin County, Ohio, who graciously agreed to participate in this study. Though in the pages that follow I am sometimes critical of the leadership in Columbus, I have little doubt that these individuals are working hard to make the city and region a better place. Their tasks are unenviable and their work is usually thankless—except here. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables viii List of Figures xi Abstract xii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem 1 Purpose 4 Significance 5 Theoretical Foundations and Conceptualization 8 Frequently Used Terms 12 Organization of This Dissertation 14 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 15 Democracy in America 16 Direct Democracy and Public Policymaking 22 Stadiums and Politics 28 Arena Financing in Columbus, Ohio 55 Civic Paternalism 77 In Summary 100 3. METHODS 102 Construct Definitions and Research Hypotheses 104 Scale Development 115 Pilot Testing 125 Principal Study 129 In Summary 133 4. RESULTS 135 Pilot Testing 136 Principal Study 159 In Summary 171 5. DISCUSSION 173 Examining the Public Response to a No-vote Subsidy 173 Future Considerations For Measuring Voter Attitudes 184 Civic Paternalism as Public Policy 187 Democracy and Sport 191 Implications of Findings 195 Limitations and Directions For New Research 198 In Conclusion 202 APPENDICES A. STATEMENT OF CONSENT: POLICYMAKER INTERVIEWS 204 B. HUMAN SUBJECTS COMMITTEE APPROVAL MEMORANDUM: 206 POLICYMAKER INTERVIEWS vi C. STATEMENT OF CONSENT: PUBLIC RESPONSE (PILOT STUDY) 207 D. SUMMARY OF PUBLIC RESPONSE SURVEY DESIGN, ITEMS, AND 208 RESPONSE CHOICES (PILOT STUDY) E. HUMAN SUBJECTS COMMITTEE APPROVAL MEMORANDUM: PUBLIC 213 RESPONSE (PILOT STUDY) F. PILOT STUDY RECRUITMENT IMAGES 214 G. LETTER OF CONSENT: PUBLIC RESPONSE (PRINCIPAL STUDY) 215 H. COLUMBUS ARENA SURVEY 2012 216 I. HUMAN SUBJECTS COMMITTEE APPROVAL MEMORANDUM: AMENDED 220 FOR PRINCIPAL STUDY J. CAS12 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS 221 REFERENCES 223 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 254 vii LIST OF TABLES 1.1 North American Professional Sport Facilities Receiving Public Funding Since 2005 2 2.1 Select Passages Comparing Jefferson’s Declaration of Independent and Locke’s Second 20 Treatise of Government 2.2 A Summary of the Direct Democracy Debate 27 2.3 Primary Public Funding Source(s) for Professional Sport Facility Constructions and 29 Renovations Since 2005 2.4 City of Columbus Population, 1840-2010 56 2.5 Demographic Characteristics of City of Columbus and Franklin County 57 2.6 Downtown Columbus Population, 1940-2009 59 2.7 Summary of Previous Arena Financing Issues in Franklin County 62 2.8 Columbus Blue Jackets Annual Game Attendance 71 2.9 Results of 2009 Ohio State Issue 3 By Affected County 75 3.1 Proposed Items Measuring Perceived Arena Impact 116 4.1 Demographic Characteristics of Pilot Study Sample (N=158) 136 4.2 Psychometric Properties of Perceived Arena Impact Construct and Variables 138 4.3 Correlations Among the Perceived Arena Impact Variables 139 4.4 Psychometric Properties of Revised Perceived Arena Impact Construct and Variables 139 4.5 Psychometric Properties of Trust in Civically Paternalistic Leadership Construct and 139 Variables 4.6 Correlations Among the Trust in Civically Paternalistic Leadership Variables 140 4.7 Psychometric Properties of Revised Trust in Civically Paternalistic Leadership 140 Construct and Variables 4.8 Psychometric Properties of Support of Financing Plan Construct and Variables 141 4.9 Correlations Among the Support of Financing Plan Variables 141 4.10 Psychometric Properties of Revised Support of Financing Plan Construct and 141 Variables 4.11 Psychometric Properties of Attendance Intentions Construct and Variables 142 4.12 Correlations Among the Attendance Intentions Variables 142 4.13 Psychometric Properties of Media Consumption Intentions Construct and Variables 143 4.14 Correlations Among the Media Consumption Intentions Variables 143 4.15 Psychometric Properties of Merchandise Purchasing Intentions Construct and 143 Variables viii 4.16 Correlations Among the Merchandise Purchasing