New research reveals a strategy where political actors engineer policies to weaken opponents. Focusing on conservative advocacy against public sector unions, the Conservative network-backed legislation resulted in significant declines in union density and revenue across states. This weakening of unions had consequences for public participation by diminishing their collective power.

This study demonstrates that conservative policy feedback can effectively demobilize political rivals. The findings highlight how actors strategically design policies to undermine opponent influence, a phenomenon observed specifically through the targeting of public sector labor in state politics. Evidence confirms this legislation dampened the political participation of public employees.