Vortrag von Philipp Lergetporer, Ph.D. (ifo Institut) zum Thema “Information and preferences for public spending: Evidence from representative survey experiments"

Im Rahmen des Forschungskolloquiums der wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Institute der Universität Freiburg hält Philipp Lergetporer, Ph.D. (ifo Institut - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung an der Universität München e.V.)  einen Vortrag zum Thema “Information and preferences for public spending: Evidence from representative survey experiments ".

Der Vortrag findet statt am Dienstag,  8. Dezember 2015 um 16:00 Uhr in Hörsaal  1243

Abstract

If citizens are ignorant of the extent of public spending, the size of government may not properly reflect citizens’ preferences. We devise a series of survey experiments for a representative sample of German citizens to test whether preferences for public spending depend on information status. We find that providing information on current spending levels reduces support for increased public spending across several areas. Focusing on education spending where support for higher spending is largest, we show that effects of the information treatment are largest among citizens who underestimate current spending levels. When asked about preferences for teacher salary increases, treatment effects are negative for those who underestimate current salary levels, but in fact inexistent for those who correctly estimate and positive for those who overestimate. Further evidence suggests that providing citizens with information on the cost of specific education reforms reduces support for the reforms.