ABSTRACT
Material factors which had played a key role in the I-394 campaign also figured prominently in the ratepayer unrest. The foregoing review of the ratepayer unrest revealed the strong influence of material and organizational factors in the short life of the movement. The strong influence of the economic factors is also demonstrated in the declining incidence of mass ratepayer protest, as material circumstances changed significantly over time. Progress Under Democracy clearly offered the most comprehensive program of ratepayer activism, supported by a set of broad ideological principles espoused by its research-oriented sister organization, the National Public Power Institute, which was also headed by P.U.D. founder Dan Leahy. In general, protest intensity in the early period was heavily influenced by economic concerns, while the activities surrounding the ratepayers’ coalition, which marked the later period, were more heavily influenced by organizational dynamics. Intended to dramatize shared ratepayer concern beyond the formal utility arena, these symbolic activities actually proved disappointing.
