Information Processing and Changes to Local Governments' Practices Amid Intensifying Environmental Hazards

ABSTRACT Information processing is a fundamental part of policy making and is all the more critical in modern policy making environments characterized by information abundance. Using Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) as a lens, this study investigates how city governments process and apply externally generated knowledge to address environmental hazards in the era of climate change. Descriptive and regression analyses are run on nationwide survey data to compare factors that influence the frequency with which US local governments use externally‐ and internally‐sourced information as a basis for changing policy practices. An overarching finding is that cities more frequently adjust practices based on internal knowledge and direct experience. While this reliance is often appropriate, experiential knowledge alone is inadequate to confront uncertain, volatile, and complex challenges. Our findings suggest that wealthier cities are not necessarily more likely to rely on external sources, though the presence of climate‐cognizant local officials, adaptation plans, or dedicated resources predicts greater external information use. Finally, policy entrepreneurs appear to expand the scope of external information that governments process, a finding that sheds light on the understudied question of PET's behavioral foundations.