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We Spend How Much? Misperceptions, Innumeracy, and Support for the Foreign Aid in the United States and Great Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2017

Thomas J. Scotto ,
Jason Reifler ,
David Hudson  and
Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson
Thomas J. Scotto
Affiliation:
School of Government and Public Policy, University of Strathclyde, McCance Building, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK e-mail: tom.scotto@strath.ac.uk
Jason Reifler
Affiliation:
Department of Politics, University of Exeter, Armory Building, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK e-mail: j.reifler@exeter.ac.uk
David Hudson
Affiliation:
International Development Department, Muirhead Tower, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK e-mail: d.e.hudson@bham.ac.uk
Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson
Affiliation:
School of Public Policy, University College London, 29–31 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9QU, UK e-mail: jennifer.hudson@ucl.ac.uk
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Abstract

Majorities of citizens in high-income countries often oppose foreign aid spending. One popular explanation is that the public overestimates the percentage and amount of taxpayer funds that goes toward overseas aid. Does expressing aid flows in dollar and/or percentage terms shift public opinion toward aid? We report the results of an experiment examining differences in support for aid spending as a function of the information American and British respondents receive about foreign aid spending. In both nations, providing respondents with information about foreign aid spending as a percentage of the national budget significantly reduces support for cuts. The findings suggest that support for aid can be increased, but significant opposition to aid spending remains.

Keywords

aid spendinginnumeracypublic opinionframing development communications
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Experimental Political Science , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , Summer 2017 , pp. 119 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © The Experimental Research Section of the American Political Science Association 2017 

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