Inter-Government Communication– Transportation Options for Utahns

Author

• Andrew Nicholas Barber, Utah State University

Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Communication Studies and Philosophy

Abstract

As a growing Western state, Utah has ambitions for building more infrastructure, especially public transportation. The way it organizes its communication strategy for public transportation, however, represents a microcosm in a larger debate between political scientists and economists. Professionals have backed one of two models for inter-government communication: the decentralized or “fiscal federalism” model and the centralized model, and pros and cons have been theorized for both. Decentralization, on paper, is more democratic, can better represent the needs of its constituents, and can better navigate pesky bureaucratic red tape, but is less efficient. Centralization, on the other hand, is more autocratic, can push through desired legislation, and is more stable, but as a consequence gives people less freedom. Utah and its next-door neighbor Colorado are a perfect case study for this debate and present a natural progression of the discussion, since each state has adopted one or the other model, with Utah adopting a more decentralized model and Colorado adopting a more centralized model. To truly determine the efficacy of each model, one must observe the success of the Rail Passengers Association in each state. If fiscal federalism is superior, one would expect the Utah Rail Passengers association to see more success with their public transportation ventures, namely LinkUtah. And if centralization is superior, one would expect the Colorado Rail Passengers Association (ColoRail) to see more success with their public transportation ventures, namely the Colorado Mountain Rail. And in the case that Colorado’s centralized model is more effective, this makes the case for Utah adopting a new communication strategy, especially in the wake of unprecedented population growth and the upcoming 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

Recommended Citation

Barber, Andrew Nicholas, "Inter-Government Communication– Transportation Options for Utahns" (2026). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 1103.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/1103