Thesis
ELECTRIC VEHICLE ADOPTION IN WASHINGTON STATE MUNICIPALITIES: DOES LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAPACITY EXPLAIN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE GOVERNMENT MANDATES
Washington State University
Master of Public Affairs (MPA), Washington State University
01/2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005406
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/119159
Abstract
In the USA, responsibility for sustainable urban development and conservation planning falls primarily on local governments and other local agencies. Often, municipalities that do act have been commanded or incentivized by federal or state governments. This research explored why local governments did not act when commanded to do so by the state government. Specifically, this exploratory study sought to answer the question, to what extent does local government capacity explain differences in local government compliance with a specific mandate from the State of Washington to adopt electronic vehicles in municipal fleets. I answered this question by investigating three types of local government capacity. as defined by 1) managerial capacity, 2) fiscal capacity, and 3) civic capacity to understand differences in local government compliance with Washington state legislature’s mandate to convert their public fleet to electric vehicles. In addition, I looked at how other states approached adopting EV’s in their public fleets and what Washington state’s policies, both proposed and those enacted into law, tell us about their approach. An association between capacity and compliance appears to exist. This association appears to be strongest for fiscal capacity, though other factors, such as explicitly planning for electronic vehicle adoption seem to be important. There are elements within each capacity that have stronger and weaker associations just as there are differences amongst the categories themselves. Aggregate capacity is considered as a way to look across the three forms of capacity.
I also briefly consider alternative explanations such as polycentricity and NEPUD which shows promise for further study. An important lesson for state legislators and local government officials to consider from this exploratory study is that legislation implemented exclusively through the command and control model may not be as successful as legislation that provides support mechanisms for adequate capacity at the local levels.
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Details
- Title
- ELECTRIC VEHICLE ADOPTION IN WASHINGTON STATE MUNICIPALITIES: DOES LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAPACITY EXPLAIN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE GOVERNMENT MANDATES
- Creators
- Vincent Paul Carpenter
- Contributors
- Paul Thiers (Advisor)Anthony C Lopez (Committee Member)Mark Stephan (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Public Affairs (MPA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 80
- Identifiers
- 99900591958401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis