Flashcards: Political Economics of Epidemics

What is the main focus of the political economics of epidemics?

Understanding how political incentives influence government reactions to epidemics and how citizens respond to government policies.

How does the government reaction to epidemics affect elections in democratic countries?

Governments are held accountable for their reaction to health crises, influencing the vote share of incumbents.

What do studies suggest about governments' actions in response to crises like epidemics?

Incumbent governments are often rewarded for effective resource allocation during epidemics, as seen in the Ebola epidemic.

What key trade-off do governments face during an epidemic?

Governments must balance disease containment with economic and political factors, notably the incentive for re-election.

According to Pulejo and Querubín (2021), how does the proximity of elections affect containment measures during a pandemic?

Leaders up for re-election may implement less stringent measures as elections draw closer.

What did Flückiger et al. (2019) study regarding epidemics?

They found that government responses to epidemics can be influenced by electoral incentives.

What are the findings of Maffioli (2021 JDE) regarding the Ebola epidemic?

Political incentives greatly influenced the allocation of resources during the Ebola outbreak in Liberia.

Which data source did Pulejo and Querubín use to measure policy stringency during COVID-19?

The Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT).

What is a swing village in the context of resource allocation during the Ebola outbreak?

A village where the vote share difference between winning and losing parties is less than or equal to 10%.

What did Pulejo and Querubín conclude about leaders who can run for re-election?

Such leaders implement less stringent restrictions when elections are near, reflecting political priorities.

What implication was drawn from studies about public response to government actions during epidemics?

Compliance with health measures is influenced by citizens' trust in government legitimacy.

How did trust in state institutions affect public response during the Ebola epidemic?

Resistance to containment measures concentrated in areas with low trust in state institutions.

What method is commonly used to measure differential responses to government policies in studies?

The difference-in-differences (DiD) approach is utilized to compare outcomes before and after treatment.

In the DiD approach, what crucial assumption must hold true?

The assumption of parallel trends must exist, meaning the groups would have followed the same trend without treatment.

What was the primary research question of Painter and Qiu (2021)?

Do compliance rates with social distancing orders depend on political alignment or beliefs?

What significant differences were found in compliance with COVID-19 social distancing rules?

Compliance rates tended to be higher in Democratic leaning counties compared to Republican leaning ones.

What factor affects the credibility of government messages during an epidemic?

The alignment of political beliefs between citizens and government leaders greatly affects the perceived credibility.

What was one key finding of Ajzenman et al. (AEJ 2023) regarding COVID-19 in Brazil?

Partisan divide in behavior in response to COVID-19 is similar to that observed in the US.

What important conclusion can be drawn from the studies analyzed in the lecture?

Political incentives significantly shape both government responses to epidemics and public compliance with health measures.

What are two channels through which partisanship affects compliance with COVID-19 guidelines?

1. Information channel: Democrats generally more informed about the virus; 2. Credibility channel: Republicans may rely more on Trump’s statements.

How do media programs impact public perception and behavior towards health crises?

Opinion programs can shape viewers' beliefs and behaviors, potentially leading to non-compliance with health guidelines.

What research design did researchers use to assess the influence of media programming on behavior?

They conducted surveys to investigate behavioral changes linked to viewership of specific opinion shows.

What factor influences the effectiveness of media in health communication?

The legitimacy of the government is critical for ensuring adherence to health measures conveyed through media.

What results suggest that opinion shows influence health-related behavior?

Viewers of opinion shows exhibited substantial changes in their behavior in response to COVID-19, indicating influence.

What indicated the divergence in coverage on COVID-19 by different opinion shows?

Tucker Carlson addressed COVID-19 as a serious threat early on, whereas Sean Hannity downplayed its significance.

What ultimately affects the outcomes of public health policies during epidemics?

The interplay between political incentives, media influence, and citizen compliance plays a crucial role.