Predicting a Community Decision: A Test of the Miller-Form Theory

Abstract

Two proposed constitutional amendments appearing on the November 4, 1958 ballot became issues of general community concern in Denver, Colorado. One, a right to work amendment proposal, aroused a high level of community interest and activity; the other, a civil service amendment proposal, stimulated relatively less community interest and activity. This setting provided an opportunity for an independent prediction test of the Miller-Form theory of issue outcome in community decision making. This theory is discussed briefly, operational procedures for determining the values of the factors of the theory for predictive purposes are described, and results interpreted as a favorable test of the theory are presented. Certain questions concerning reliability, alternative application models, and further research problems are also discussed.