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dc.titleDisaster and Political Trust: A Natural Experiment from the 2017 Mexico City Earthquake
dc.contributor.authorFrost, Margaret
dc.contributor.authorKim, Sangeun
dc.contributor.authorScartascini, Carlos
dc.contributor.authorZamora, Paula
dc.contributor.authorZechmeister, Elizabeth J.
dc.contributor.orgunitDepartment of Research and Chief Economist
dc.coverageMexico
dc.date.available2024-01-17T00:01:00
dc.date.issue2024-01-17T00:01:00
dc.description.abstractPolitical trust is foundational to democratic legitimacy, representative governance, and the provision of effective public policy. Various shocks can influence this trust, steering countries onto positive or negative trajectories. This study examines whether natural disasters can impact general political trust and if disaster relief efforts can mitigate these effects. We investigate the relationships between disaster, trust, and aid using novel survey data collected before and after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico City in September 2017. Our findings reveal that the disaster resulted in an 11% decrease in general political trust. Additionally, we demonstrate that geographical proximity to disaster relief efforts may counterbalance this decline in trust. This study contributes to the scholarship on the politics of disasters and offers policy implications, highlighting the role of disaster assistance in potentially restoring general political trust after a disaster.
dc.format.extent48
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0005511
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Disaster-and-Political-Trust-A-Natural-Experiment-from-the-2017-Mexico-City-Earthquake.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectDemocracy
dc.subjectDisaster
dc.subjectNatural Disaster
dc.subjectTrust
dc.subjectPolitical Trust
dc.subjectEarthquake
dc.subjectMunicipal Government
dc.subjectPopulation Aging
dc.subjectEducational Institution
dc.subject.jelcodeH84 - Disaster Aid
dc.subject.jelcodeD72 - Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
dc.subject.jelcodeQ54 - Climate • Natural Disasters and Their Management • Global Warming
dc.subject.jelcodeZ13 - Economic Sociology • Economic Anthropology • Social and Economic Stratification
dc.subject.keywordsPolitical trust;Natural Disaster;Natural experiment;Aid relief;Development
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberIDB-WP-01192
idb.operationRG-K1199
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