Governing bodies are continuing to research, conduct pilot programs, and adopt policy for mileage fees as alternatives to the gas tax, yet public support remains critically low. Lack of support generally stems from assumptions that mileage fees will cost more, be inequitable for rural and low-income households, and will impede privacy through invasive mileage collection. In this study, researchers assess the extent to which these perceptions of mileage fees, which ultimately shape policy opinion formation, are related to low levels of information or lacking information. They also evaluate the unique aspects of policy opinion formation, including engagement with both individual and aggregate ideologies and material self-interests. The survey instrument encourages issue engagement through iterative voting and educational experiences, through which it is shown that information has a statistically significant effect on policy opinions and changes current thinking about public support for mileage fees. Across the educational experiences, which include policy-relevant information provided through videos and tailored annual cost calculations for the policy alternatives, 24% of respondents changed their opinion by the end of the study, and 44% changed their opinion at least once during the study. The authors conclude with suggestions for public opinion polling around controversial policies that apply to both researchers and practitioners looking to engage with their constituents.
