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A Grant to Every Citizen: Survey Evidence of the Impact of a Direct Government Payment in Israel

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  • Naomi Feldman
  • Ori Heffetz

Abstract

During the 2020 COVID-19 recession, Israel disbursed one-time, universal grants of $220 per adult and $150 per child. We ask survey respondents about the grant’s primary effect on their situation. Twenty to 45 percent report increasing spending, and 36–52 percent report reducing debts. Importantly, as many respondents report donating or helping friends or family as increasing saving (10–18 percent). While financially weaker respondents reduce debt more, stronger ones not only increase saving but also increase giving — a new finding of nonnegligible, voluntary, decentralized reallocation of governmental assistance. We explore how Israel’s political situation and our methodology may have affected our findings, helped by a follow-up US survey.

Suggested Citation

  • Naomi Feldman & Ori Heffetz, 2022. "A Grant to Every Citizen: Survey Evidence of the Impact of a Direct Government Payment in Israel," National Tax Journal, University of Chicago Press, vol. 75(2), pages 229-263.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:nattax:doi:10.1086/719449
    DOI: 10.1086/719449
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    1. Scott R. Baker & Robert A Farrokhnia & Steffen Meyer & Michaela Pagel & Constantine Yannelis, 2023. "Income, Liquidity, and the Consumption Response to the 2020 Economic Stimulus Payments," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(6), pages 2271-2304.
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    4. Claudia R. Sahm & Matthew D. Shapiro & Joel Slemrod, 2012. "Check in the Mail or More in the Paycheck: Does the Effectiveness of Fiscal Stimulus Depend on How It Is Delivered?," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(3), pages 216-250, August.
    5. Naomi E. Feldman, 2010. "Mental Accounting Effects of Income Tax Shifting," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 92(1), pages 70-86, February.
    6. Veronica Guerrieri & Guido Lorenzoni & Ludwig Straub & Iván Werning, 2022. "Macroeconomic Implications of COVID-19: Can Negative Supply Shocks Cause Demand Shortages?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(5), pages 1437-1474, May.
    7. Ori Heffetz & Daniel B. Reeves, 2019. "Difficulty of Reaching Respondents and Nonresponse Bias: Evidence from Large Government Surveys," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 101(1), pages 176-191, March.
    8. Jonathan A. Parker & Nicholas S. Souleles, 2019. "Reported Effects versus Revealed-Preference Estimates: Evidence from the Propensity to Spend Tax Rebates," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 1(3), pages 273-290, December.
    9. Leigh Andrew, 2012. "How Much Did the 2009 Australian Fiscal Stimulus Boost Demand? Evidence from Household-Reported Spending Effects," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-24, March.
    10. Matthew D. Shapiro & Joel Slemrod, 2003. "Did the 2001 Tax Rebate Stimulate Spending? Evidence from Taxpayer Surveys," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 17, pages 83-110, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gray Molina George & Montoya-Aguirre María & Ortiz-Juarez Eduardo, 2022. "Temporary Basic Income in Times of Pandemic: Rationale, Costs and Poverty-Mitigation Potential," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 17(2), pages 125-154, December.
    2. Jonathan A. Parker & Jake Schild & Laura Erhard & David Johnson, 2022. "Economic Impact Payments and Household Spending During the Pandemic," NBER Working Papers 30596, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Anantha Divakaruni & Peter Zimmerman, 2021. "Uncovering Retail Trading in Bitcoin: The Impact of COVID-19 Stimulus Checks," Working Papers 21-13, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
    4. Jonathan A. Parker & Jake Schild & Laura Erhard & David S. Johnson, 2021. "Household Spending Responses to the Economic Impact Payments of 2020: Evidence from the Consumer Expenditure Survey," Economic Working Papers 544, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    5. Kubota, So & Onishi, Koichiro & Toyama, Yuta, 2021. "Consumption responses to COVID-19 payments: Evidence from a natural experiment and bank account data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 1-17.
    6. Bessho, S., 2023. "Elections and COVID-19 benefit payments," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Kanishka Misra & Vishal Singh & Qianyun (Poppy) Zhang, 2022. "Frontiers: Impact of Stay-at-Home-Orders and Cost-of-Living on Stimulus Response: Evidence from the CARES Act," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 41(2), pages 211-229, March.
    8. Bernard, René, 2023. "Mental accounting and the marginal propensity to consume," Discussion Papers 13/2023, Deutsche Bundesbank.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E65 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Studies of Particular Policy Episodes
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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