More than Words: Leaders' Speech and Risky Behavior During a Pandemic

Nicolas Ajzenman (), Tiago Cavalcanti and Daniel Da Mata
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Nicolas Ajzenman: McGill University

No 14229, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper investigates if the anti-scientific rhetoric of modern populists can induce followers to engage in risky behavior. We gather electoral information, in-person card transactions, and geo-localized mobile phone data for approximately 60 million devices in Brazil. After the president publicly dismissed the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic and challenged scientific community recommendations, social distancing in pro-government localities declined. Consistently, general in-person transactions increased immediately, while expenses in pharmacies and cases grew with a six-day lag. Results are driven by localities with higher media penetration levels, active Twitter accounts, and a larger proportion of Evangelical Christians, a critical electoral group.

Keywords: risky behavior; leadership; persuasion; populism; health; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D1 D72 I12 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 50 pages
Date: 2021-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published - published in: American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2023, 15 (3), 351–371

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Related works:
Journal Article: More than Words: Leaders' Speech and Risky Behavior during a Pandemic (2023)
Working Paper: More than words: Leader’s speech and risky behavior during a pandemic (2021)
Working Paper: More than Words: Leaders' Speech and Risky Behavior During a Pandemic (2020)
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