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On the treatment of protest responses induced by perceived corruption in stated preferences studies

Author

Listed:
  • William F. Vásquez

    (Fairfield University)

  • Carlos E. de Rezende

    (Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense)

Abstract

Despite the prevalence of protest responses induced by perceived corruption in stated preferences surveys, consensus on how to treat those responses remains elusive. This study proposes a counterfactual approach to mitigate corruption-induced biases in willingness-to-pay estimates. Specifically, we present a debiasing prompt that asks protesters to reconsider their choice within a hypothetical context of institutional transparency. Using these modified protest responses, we provide willingness-to-pay estimates relatively free from protest bias. Applying this method to a contingent valuation study of cultural property in Brazil, we find a median willingness-to-pay 80% higher than the baseline. This suggests that standard valuation methods may undervalue public goods in contexts of high perceived corruption.

Suggested Citation

  • William F. Vásquez & Carlos E. de Rezende, 2026. "On the treatment of protest responses induced by perceived corruption in stated preferences studies," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 46(2), pages 590-596.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-26-00190
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Karen Blumenschein & GlennC. Blomquist & Magnus Johannesson & Nancy Horn & Patricia Freeman, 2008. "Eliciting Willingness to Pay Without Bias: Evidence from a Field Experiment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(525), pages 114-137, January.
    2. Mandy Ryan & Emmanouil Mentzakis & Suthi Jareinpituk & John Cairns, 2017. "External Validity of Contingent Valuation: Comparing Hypothetical and Actual Payments," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(11), pages 1467-1473, November.
    3. Maria Cunha-e-Sá & Lívia Madureira & Luis Nunes & Vladimir Otrachshenko, 2012. "Protesting and Justifying: A Latent Class Model for Contingent Valuation with Attitudinal Data," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 52(4), pages 531-548, August.
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    JEL classification:

    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • D7 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making

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