Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration

Are Virtual Meetings More Equitable? An Evaluation of City Council Meeting Participation in San Diego

Dominika Bukalova

San Diego State University

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4039-1857

Joshua Chanin

San Diego State University

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2939-0658

Elizabeth Maland

Retired City Clerk for the City of San Diego

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jsepa.v4i1.6841

Keywords: public meetings, virtual public meetings, local government

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Abstract

Few studies have investigated the impacts of the recent shift to virtual meetings on public participation and no known studies have explored the implications of e-participation on advancing equity in public administration. This study investigates the frequency of nonagenda public comment provided at city council meetings, comparing participation during in-person meetings to participation during virtual meetings. Our analysis, based on five years of data, reveals that overall participation increased when virtual meeting technologies were incorporated. We found that female participation surpassed male participation in meetings that offered virtual participation options. These findings highlight how virtual meeting technology impacts public participation, how it may encourage female participation, and advance gender equity in public administration.

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Author Biographies

Dominika Bukalova, San Diego State University

Dominika Bukalova (she/her/hers) (dbukalova@sdsu.edu) is an assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University. Dominika has also worked in local government, most recently as chief of staff to the San Diego City Council President. Her research focuses on public sector leadership and local government administration.

Joshua Chanin, San Diego State University

Joshua Chanin (he/him/his) (jchanin@sdsu.edu) is a Professor in the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University, where he teaches courses in public administration, criminal justice, and law. His research examines police reform and transparency.

Elizabeth Maland, Retired City Clerk for the City of San Diego

Elizabeth Maland (she/her/hers) (eandcusethis@gmail.com), retired City Clerk for San Diego, oversaw a department of 49 employees which provided meeting support, records management, and election coordination. A Brown University graduate, she worked for San Diego for over 30 years and received recognition for her work in access improvement.

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