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News and Views on Public Finances: A Survey Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Jan Behringer
  • Lena Dräger
  • Sebastian Dullien
  • Sebastian Gechert

Abstract

We use novel German survey data to investigate how perceptions and information about public finances influence attitudes towards public debt and fiscal rules. On average, people strongly underestimate the debt-to-GDP ratio, overestimate the interest-to-tax-revenue ratio and favor a tighter German debt brake. In an information treatment experiment, people consider public debt to be a more (less) severe problem once they learn the actual debt-to-GDP or interest-to-tax-revenue ratio is higher (lower) than their estimates. However, the treatment effects partly vanish when anchoring respondents’ beliefs with historical public debt figures. We find no treatment effects on attitudes towards the debt brake.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Behringer & Lena Dräger & Sebastian Dullien & Sebastian Gechert, 2024. "News and Views on Public Finances: A Survey Experiment," CESifo Working Paper Series 10891, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10891
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Author-Name: Alan S. Blinder & Alan B. Krueger, 2004. "What Does the Public Know about Economic Policy, and How Does It Know It?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 35(1), pages 327-397.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public debt; fiscal rules; information treatment; expectations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • H60 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - General

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