Financial Bailouts
In Bechtel, Hainmueller, and Margalit (2014), we explore why voters support bearing the costs of bailing out other countries. Using observational and experimental survey data from Germany, we find that voters’ preferences are less influenced by their economic standing and more by social dispositions like altruism and cosmopolitanism. This suggests the bailout debate is driven by foreign policy attitudes, contrasting economic nationalism with cosmopolitan values, rather than domestic economic divides.
In Bechtel, Hainmueller, and Margalit (2017), we investigate public opposition to financial bailouts within the Eurozone, focusing on German voters as the largest donor group. Using original survey data and an experiment that varies key policy dimensions, the study distinguishes between fundamental opposition (unwavering rejection or support) and contingent attitudes (flexible views based on policy specifics). The findings highlight that only a minority of Germans exhibit fundamental opposition, while most attitudes are influenced by factors like burden-sharing and costs. The study underscores the importance of policy design in garnering public support for international financial aid.
In Bansak et al. (2020), we explore the ideological divide in European public opinion on Greece’s potential exit from the Eurozone (“Grexit”). Drawing on surveys from four major European economies, the study finds that the divide is not rooted in economic self-interest or typical left-right differences like redistribution or EU support. Instead, it identifies distinct expectations between left- and right-leaning voters about the economic consequences of a free-market approach to resolving the crisis. These findings suggest that core economic beliefs shape public opinion on high-stakes international issues.
