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Choice in politics: Equivalency framing in economic policy decisions and the influence of expertise

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  • Kuehnhanss, Colin R
  • Heyndels, Bruno
  • Hilken, Katharina

Abstract

Political decision-making involves the presentation of policy options from opposing points of view and in different lights. We test whether economic policy decisions are subject to equivalency framing by presenting survey participants with binary risky-choice decisions in hypothetical policy scenarios. Potentially mediating influences of expertise on the framing effect are explored using responses of students and professionals. Expertise is thereby defined in line with common education and work experience criteria in the recruitment of public officials. We mostly find unidirectional framing effects in the economic policy scenarios and a similar susceptibility of respondents with different levels of expertise. A logistic regression of the expertise variables on the choice between certain and risky options reveals only the frame to have a systematically significant effect across scenarios. The results indicate that expertise may not necessarily help to make better policy choices under risk, if the available options are framed differently.

Suggested Citation

  • Kuehnhanss, Colin R & Heyndels, Bruno & Hilken, Katharina, 2015. "Choice in politics: Equivalency framing in economic policy decisions and the influence of expertise," MPRA Paper 85309, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:85309
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    3. Dolls, Mathias & Wehrhöfer, Nils, 2021. "Attitudes towards euro area reforms: Evidence from a randomized survey experiment," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
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    5. Pavlova, Natalia (Павлова, Наталья) & Shastitko, Anastasia (Шаститко, Анастасия), 2017. "Behavioral Aspects of the Regulator's Actions [Поведенческие Аспекты Действий Регулятора]," Working Papers 051714, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    6. Carrieri, Vincenzo & De Paola, Maria & Gioia, Francesca, 2020. "The Health-Wealth Trade-off during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Communication Matters," IZA Discussion Papers 13943, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Francesc Trillas Jané, 2016. "Behavioral Regulatory Agencies," Working Papers wpdea1606, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona.
    8. Vincenzo Carrieri & Maria De Paola & Francesca Gioia, 2021. "The health-economy trade-off during the Covid-19 pandemic: Communication matters," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-25, September.
    9. Kuehnhanss, Colin R. & Heyndels, Bruno, 2018. "All’s fair in taxation: A framing experiment with local politicians," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 26-40.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Equivalency framing; Political decision-making; Economic policy; Expertise;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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