Does political ideology still matter? A meta‐analysis of government contracting decisions

Abstract

In the field of government contracting research, whether and to what extent political ideology drives government contracting has been a subject of ongoing debate for decades. This study conducts a comprehensive meta‐analysis, incorporating 418 effect sizes drawn from 68 previous studies spanning over three decades. The findings indicate that right‐wing political ideology generally yields a significant, positive effect on driving contracting out. Moreover, meta‐regression analysis suggests that this ideological effect is stronger in government contracting for social services and in non‐Anglo‐American administrative traditions. The results emphasize the enduring relevance of political ideology in government contracting decisions, even though its impact may vary slightly in magnitude and circumstances.