My Brother’s Keeper: Other-regarding preferences and concern for global climate change

Amanda Kennard ()
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Amanda Kennard: New York University

The Review of International Organizations, 2021, vol. 16, issue 2, No 4, 345-376

Abstract: Abstract In the coming century, average temperatures are predicted to increase by 2.5 to ten degrees Fahrenheit as a result of climate change. Yet citizens around the world vary in their perceptions of how serious the threat of rising temperatures is. I argue that variation in the perceived seriousness of climate change reflects the degree to which individuals internalize the welfare of others in society besides themselves. I describe and two models of “other-regarding” preferences - social welfare maximization and inequity aversion - and test their predictions using data from the World Values Survey. I employ genetic matching and a difference-in-difference design in order to mitigate potential endogeneity. I also explore behavioral implications of the theory using original data on climate change-related web searches. The empirical tests support the argument: individuals who exhibit high levels of other-regarding preferences are more likely to express serious concern - and seek out new information - about global warming.

Keywords: Climate change; Public opinion; Behavioral politics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D64 D90 P18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11558-019-09374-w

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