Kobayashi, Y orcid.org/0000-0003-3908-1074, Heinrich, T and Bryant, KA (2021) Public Support for Development Aid during the COVID-19 Pandemic. World Development, 138. 105248. ISSN 0305-750X
Abstract
Global pandemics are a serious concern for developing countries, perhaps particularly when the same pandemic also affects donors of development aid. During crises at home, donors often cut aid, which would have grave ramifications for developing countries with poor public health capacity during a time of increased demand for health care. Because the major donors are democracies, whether they renege on promises would depend intimately on how donor citizens respond to the specific crisis. We conduct two survey experiments with 887 U.S. residents to examine how the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic influences their attitudes toward aid. We demonstrate that citizens’ concern about the impact of COVID-19 on their country’s financial situation reduces their support for aid. If they think that aid can help curb the next wave of the disease at home by first alleviating its impact in developing countries, they become substantially more supportive of giving aid. In contrast, merely stressing how COVID-19 might ravage developing countries barely changes their aid attitudes. Our findings have implications for what to expect from donors during global pandemics as well as how advocates may prevent aid from being cut.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of an article published in World Development. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | foreign aid; pandemic; COVID-19; public opinion; development aid |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Politics & International Studies (POLIS) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 19 Oct 2020 15:38 |
Last Modified: | 21 Oct 2022 00:13 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105248 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:166821 |