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When Economic and Health Crises Collide: The Effect of Covid-19 on Political Attitudes

Author

Listed:
  • Gianmarco Daniele
  • Andrea F.M. Martinangeli
  • Francesco Passarelli
  • Willem Sas
  • Lisa Windsteiger

Abstract

To investigate how a unique combination of health and economic crises can shape political attitudes, we conducted a large online survey experiment during the ï¬ rst wave of the Covid-19 epidemic (June). With a randomised survey flow we varied whether respondents are given Covid-related treatment questions. This design allows us to analyse health and economic effects separately, as well as a national unity component. We ï¬ nd that the crisis has severely undermined trust in politicians, the media and the EU, and has sapped support for social welfare spending ï¬ nanced by taxes. We also uncover a rallying effect around (scientiï¬ c) expertise and competence, combined with populist policies losing ground. Lastly, we show that the negative effects are mostly due to economic insecurity, whilst the rallying effects are due to health concerns and beliefs in the importance of national unity to navigate the crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianmarco Daniele & Andrea F.M. Martinangeli & Francesco Passarelli & Willem Sas & Lisa Windsteiger, 2020. "When Economic and Health Crises Collide: The Effect of Covid-19 on Political Attitudes," Working Papers tax-mpg-rps-2020-18_2, Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance.
    • Handle: RePEc:mpi:wpaper:tax-mpg-rps-2020-18_2
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Covid-19; Institutional Trust; Political Attitudes; Online Survey Experiment; European Union; Welfare; Taxation; Populism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe
    • P52 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - Comparative Studies of Particular Economies

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