Characterizing public perceptions of social and cultural impacts in policy decisions

Significance Large infrastructure projects such as highways, pipelines, and ports undergo formal impact evaluations to assess the likely impacts to social and cultural priorities, the economy, public health, and the environment. Several scientific and citizen groups have expressed concern that social and cultural impacts are not given sufficient consideration as compared to more tangible impacts such as economic concerns. In two large surveys, we find that the public does differentiate impacts, using qualities such as tangibility and scope, and we provide evidence supporting the widespread public perception that many policy decisions fail to reflect concerns about a range of social and cultural impacts. Knowing more about public perceptions of impacts could help aid the development of more equitable impact assessment procedures.