Do strong partisans show consistent preferences on economic development policies despite differing opinions at the national level? This study employs conjoint survey experiments in eight US metropolitan areas to investigate partisan sorting versus polarization. We find that while party identification strongly shapes preferences for local economic development issues, these policy positions remain largely similar across voters regardless of their political alignment. Unlike national politics where partisans diverge sharply on most policies, this research suggests a greater potential for bipartisan agreement and cooperation in urban governance.
