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Support for free-market policies and reforms: Does the field of study influence students' political attitudes?

Author

Listed:
  • Fischer, Mira
  • Kauder, Björn
  • Potrafke, Niklas
  • Ursprung, Heinrich W.

Abstract

Since opinion leaders are usually university graduates, the field of study has an influence on public support for economic policies and policy reforms intended to enhance efficiency because advocating such policies often requires appreciation of the beneficial roles of markets and economic freedom. We investigate whether the field of study influences German university students' political attitudes. We disentangle self-selection from learning effects and reveal systematic differences between incoming students' political attitudes across eight fields of study. In a second step we explore how the students' political attitudes change as they progress in their academic training. Only studying economics has an unambiguous pro-market influence on political attitudes: by the time of graduation, economics students are some 6.2 percentage points more likely than they were in their initial year of study to agree with free-market policy positions. Studying humanities and natural sciences has a pro-leftist influence.

Suggested Citation

  • Fischer, Mira & Kauder, Björn & Potrafke, Niklas & Ursprung, Heinrich W., 2017. "Support for free-market policies and reforms: Does the field of study influence students' political attitudes?," Munich Reprints in Economics 49914, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:lmu:muenar:49914
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    Cited by:

    1. Maité Laméris & Pierre-Guillaume Méon & Anne-Marie Van Prooijen, 2019. "What have we done? The impact of choosing and studying different academic disciplines on beliefs and values," Working Papers CEB 19-007, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Kristin Fischer & Björn Kauder & Niklas Potrafke, 2016. "Beeinflusst das Studienfach die politische Einstellung von Studierenden?," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 69(15), pages 17-24, August.
    3. Klaus Gründler & Niklas Potrafke & Timo Wochner, 2020. "Structural Reforms and Income Inequality: Who Benefits from Market-Oriented Reforms?," CESifo Working Paper Series 8042, CESifo.
    4. Montagnoli, Alberto & Moro, Mirko & Panos, Georgios A. & Wright, Robert E., 2016. "Financial Literacy and Political Orientation in Great Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 10285, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Maite D. Laméris & Pierre-Guillaume Méon & Anne-Marie Prooijen, 2023. "What have we done?! The impact of economics on the beliefs and values of business students," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(3), pages 433-483, April.
    6. Hefeker Carsten & Potrafke Niklas, 2021. "Heinrich W. Ursprung – Herausragender Ökonom, Mentor und Ratgeber," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 22(4), pages 370-374, November.
    7. Tatiana Litvinova & Olga Vershinina & Gennady Moskvitin, 2020. "Social and Political Attitudes of Moscow Students on the Background of the All-Russia and Regional Youth Studies," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, September.
    8. Björn Kauder & Niklas Potrafke, 2022. "Rewarding conservative politicians? Evidence from voting on same-sex marriage," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 191(1), pages 161-172, April.
    9. Arye L. Hillman, 2021. "Heinrich Ursprung: a scholarly life," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 189(3), pages 305-312, December.
    10. Janne Ingelbeen & Tessa Haesevoets, 2025. "Technocracy in Times of Crisis: Unravelling Citizens’ Support for Experts during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Belgium," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 501-519, June.
    11. Minasyan, Anna, 2018. "US aid, US educated leaders and economic ideology," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 244-257.
    12. Valdemoros-Erro, María Jesús & Álvarez-Arce, José Luis & Sanjurjo-San-Martín, Elena, 2025. "The belief that monetary exchanges are mutually beneficial: Are economics students different? Evidence from Guatemala," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    13. Yvonne Giesing & Björn Kauder & Lukas Mergele & Niklas Potrafke & Panu Poutvaara, 2024. "Moving Out of the Comfort Zone: How Cultural Norms Affect Attitudes toward Immigration," CESifo Working Paper Series 10985, CESifo.
    14. Liesbet Hooghe & Gary Marks, "undated". "The Social Roots of the Transnational Cleavage: Education, Occupation, and Sex," RSCAS Working Papers 2022/53, European University Institute.
    15. Maite D. Laméris & Richard Jong-A-Pin & Rasmus Wiese, 2018. "An Experimental Test of the Validity of Survey-Measured Political Ideology," CESifo Working Paper Series 7139, CESifo.
    16. Lindov, Dalila, 2020. "Teachers and politics," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    17. Laméris, Maite D. & Jong-A-Pin, Richard & Garretsen, Harry, 2018. "On the measurement of voter ideology," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 417-432.
    18. Kauder, Björn & Potrafke, Niklas & Ursprung, Heinrich, 2018. "Behavioral determinants of proclaimed support for environment protection policies," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 26-41.
    19. Gert G. Wagner & Ruben C. Arslan & Florian Dorn & Stefanie Gäbler & Florian Griese & Ralph Hertwig & Björn Kauder & Manuela Krause & Luisa Lorenz & Martin Mosler & Niklas Potrafke & Luisa Dörr, 2018. "Risikoeinschätzungen von Ökonomen," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 71(07), pages 61-64, April.

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