Download This PaperLives or Livelihoods? Perceived Tradeoffs and Policy Demand
119 Pages Posted: 3 May 2020 Last revised: 26 Apr 2021
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Lives or Livelihoods? Perceived Tradeoffs and Policy Demand
Lives or Livelihoods? Perceived Tradeoffs and Public Demand for Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions
Date Written: April 25, 2021
Abstract
We study the role of perceived trade-offs between human lives and economic benefits in shaping policy views. In an online experiment with a representative sample from the US conducted during the early Covid-19 pandemic, we provide randomized information on the medium-run costs of restricting economic activity to mitigate infections. A one standard deviation lower perceived economic cost of lockdowns increases support by about twice as much as having a Covid at-risk condition, and by half as much as being a Democrat. Varying projected health benefits has a similar effect. Personal exposure to health risks reduces people's responsiveness to cost-benefit considerations.
Keywords: Beliefs, Trade-offs, Policy views, Public health, Covid-19
JEL Classification: C90, D71, D83, D90, H12
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Cortnie Shupe (Contact Author)
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( email )
United States
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