Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 16/03/2026Importantly, there is widespread unawareness of non-lethal alternatives. Only 4% of owners have one & only 20% had heard of a specific one. Yet 43% say they would prefer a firearm that incapacitates rather than kills. ⬇️ [9/19] 121
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 16/03/2026Groups also diverge on social costs: non-owners are far more likely to believe gun ownership increases crime, murders, suicides & school shootings. Owners are the least likely to hold these views. [8/19] 111
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 16/03/2026How does owning a gun make you feel? Owners report safety, confidence & responsibility. Uninterested non-owners? Nervousness, fear & feeling unsafe. Same goal, opposite perceptions. [7/19] 111
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 16/03/2026What stops some people from owning guns? Perceived costs differ markedly. Only 27% of owners worry about children accessing their gun vs. 70% of uninterested non-owners. [6/19] 121
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 16/03/2026Both owners & uninterested non-owners feel similarly safe in daily life (~80%). But interested non-owners feel much less safe (58%) & trust police slightly less — they have an unmet demand for safety. [5/19] 121
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 16/03/2026**Safety** is THE overriding motivation. >80% of gun owners cite protecting their family or themselves as the main reason for ownership. Among interested non-owners, 56% cite family protection & 34% self-protection. ⬇️ [3/19] 111
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 17/04/2025Super honored to be included in @projectsyndicate.bsky.social Forward Thinkers list, launched to mark their 30th anniversary and highlight 30 global voices shaping the future of public debate. Explore the full list and learn more about their work here: forwardthinkers1.project-syndicate.org. #PS30 0211
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 04/04/202517/19: Those who feel worse off due to trade, or are objectively more exposed to trade, are less likely to believe in the positive impacts of trade, like decreased prices, innovation, growth, or neutral distributional impacts. 110
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 04/04/202516/19: Third, respondents' personal exposure to trade, both subjective and objective, influences their support for trade restrictions. This exposure shapes their assessments of how trade affects them and their perceptions of trade's broader impacts. 110
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 04/04/202512/19: But people are equally aware of trade's potential to exacerbate income inequality. For instance, 60-70% of respondents believe that large corporations or high-income households gain from trade but 20% believe that low-income households or small businesses benefit from it. 110
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 04/04/202511/19: Many respondents believe in efficiency gains from trade in the form of higher competitiveness, innovation, and growth. 110
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 04/04/20259/19: So, what are the key results? First, people perceive the threats and costs of job losses from trade to be acute and salient, whereas consumer benefits seem intangible and diffuse. It's the perceived job risks, not consumer gains, that influence people’s stance on trade. 151
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 04/04/20254/19: The concept of trade involves numerous trade-offs (see the figure). People may care about the impacts on themselves (their self-interest) but also have broader economics and social concerns. 130
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 04/04/20251/19: Seems timely to share a paper which explores how people perceive & understand trade and trade policies. Which factors shape the support for different trade policies? Thread below with the key takeaways #EconTwitter 🧵, and full paper here: socialeconomicslab.org/understandin... 210236
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Which beliefs are most predictive of support for a given climate policy? 1/ that it's effective (effectiveness concern) 2/ that it wont hurt the poor (inequality concern) or 3/ one's own household (self-interest) Figure shows correlation btw policy support & beliefs on the left⬇️ 072
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Share of people across countries who say that climate change is a serious problem and that their country should take action against it ⬇️ 140
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Which climate policies generate most support? This figure shows the share of support for a wide range of different climate change policies across 20 countries ⬇️ 132
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Are people willing to change their OWN behaviors and adopt more climate-friendly ones? That is a *very different* issue from supporting more PUBLIC policies and obviously depends on current policies. We highlight a relatively limited willingness to make far-reaching changes⬇️15/N 110
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Information & explanations work! But only if they actually address the main concerns people have. Thus, showing people info on the impacts of climate change does not change their policy views (people are already worried about climate change) 10/N 120
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Thus, there is more support for policy designs that are perceived to be more effective and progressive. These include 1/ targeted investment programs (e.g., in green infrastructure or low-carbon technologies) that are financed by progressive taxes or public debt 7/N 131
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Three key concerns determine support for a given climate policy (or lack thereof): 1) is it effective in reducing emissions? ("Effectiveness concern") 2) Will it hurt my household's finances? ("Self-interest") 3) Will it hurt the poor & lower-income? ("Inequality concern") 4/N 121
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025#surveys are key for understanding people's views on public policies. This survey asks respondents about their characteristics & energy use, knowledge & views on climate policies. It also shows them pedagogical videos on impacts of climate change & how policies work 3/N 110
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Citizens are *very concerned* about climate change and supportive of taking action ⬇️. Yet, governments have set strong climate goals but struggle to implement them. This large-scale international survey sheds light on what matters for increased support 2/N 120
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Why are we not doing more to fight climate change? New study surveys 40k people in 20 countries to understand 1/ what drives support/opposition to important climate policies 2/ how much people know about climate change & 3/ how info can change perceptions socialeconomicslab.org/internationa... 1377
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 31/03/2025Super excited to see our paper on attitudes towards climate change out in the @aeajournals.bsky.social American Economic Review today! So much more work to do on this pressing issue--data is publicly available! Short summary thread coming! 1446
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 21/03/2025Understanding causality vs. correlation is genuinely hard especially on complex topics like inflation. Our research finds that 60% of Americans think high interest rates cause high inflation & support rate cuts to fight it. But high rates usually respond to inflation,not cause it 1018238
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 15/01/2025🚨📊📚Come work with us at the Social Economics Lab at Harvard starting Summer 2025! If you are interested in taxation, public policy, and attitudes towards a range of important topics, apply here: academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/14607 085
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 05/12/2024The tradeoffs economists think about between lower unemployment/higher inflation (in certain circumstances) are not perceived by people at all. Instead, people hold a view more consistent with stagflation situations: Inflation is linked to a "bad economy" and high unemployment. 9/10 140
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 05/12/2024Large partisan split in who people blame for inflation. On the left, it is mostly businesses and “greed”, on the right it is “Joe Biden,” the administration and the government. 8/10 140
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 05/12/2024Inflation also triggers lots of stress, negative emotions, and anger. Anger is directed at businesses, the government, and the “system overall.” 7/10 130
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 05/12/2024Inflation induces a sense of inequity. First, low-income respondents are most affected and make more adjustments. Second, there is a clear perception that wages of higher-income people grow faster than others’ and are better able to keep pace with inflation. 6/10 171
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 05/12/2024Inflation affects people as consumers, workers & asset/debt owners. People report making costly adjustments along all 3 margins but most importantly as consumers (reducing the quantity or quality of goods they buy, postponing purchases). 5/10 130
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 05/12/2024Why do wages lag behind prices? People believe employers have substantial discretion rather than being subject to market forces. The belief is that when employers don't raise wages, it's because they choose to do so to keep their profits high. 4/10 140
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 05/12/2024Inflation is most definitely not seen as just a “yardstick," but as causing tangible adverse effects. The predominant reason for aversion is clear: People believe that their wages are not keeping up with inflation and that that their living standards are declining. 2/10 140
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Respondents also tend to exhibit significantly more zero-sum thinking if they, their parents, or their grandparents grew up in a county with more enslavement historically. The place-based effects of enslavement appear to still be present today. 21/23 120
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Finally, we examine the history of slavery. A notable fact is that Black respondents in the US exhibit more zero-sum thinking than other groups. Furthermore, among Black respondents, those who have ancestors who were enslaved have a more zero-sum worldview. 19/23 120
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024On immigration, we first consider its direct link with zero-sum thinking. Individuals with recent immigrant ancestors tend to exhibit less of a zero-sum outlook. This effect is strongest in first-generation immigrants, followed by second- and third generation immigrants. 17/23 120
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Having experienced greater upward intergenerational economic mobility (at any generation) consistently correlates with reduced zero-sum thinking. This suggests that witnessing family progress might alter perceptions of societal gain dynamics. 16/23 140
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Zero-sum thinking can also shed some light on why some Democrats – namely the most zero-sum ones -- voted for Trump in 2016. Trump’s rhetoric often was zero-sum, emphasizing situations in which groups were pitted against each other. 14/23 130
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Zero-sum thinking can help explain within party-variation in policy views. Eg: Why do some Republicans support government redistribution or universal healthcare? They're the more zero-sum ones. Why do some Democrats favor tighter immigration controls? They're more zero-sum. 13/23 110
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Important: zero-sum is *not* mainly a partisan issue. Democrats & Republicans are zero-sum in different domains eg. Dem. tend to believe the gains of the rich come at the expense of the poor; Rep. tend to believe the gains of immigrants come at the expense of non-immigrants. 12/23 160
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024People who are more zero-sum support more progressive policies, such as taxation & universal health insurance. They also back more affirmative action for women & African Americans, & more immigration restrictions. This holds not only in the US, but in 70 other countries too. 11/23 132
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024By the way, this pattern also holds in 70 other countries: the economic growth experienced by an individual during their first 20 years of life is associated with a lower tendency to think in zero-sum terms. 9/23 181
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024One puzzling fact: Why are younger generations in the US so much more zero-sum than older ones? It might be because older generations experienced much higher growth and better economic conditions when they were young, which could have reduced their zero-sum world views. 8/23 1101
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Which people tend to be more zero-sum? In general respondents who are in urban areas, younger, with lower income or lower educational achievements. Zero-sum thinking also varies by state: respondents in Utah are the least zero-sum; those in NY are among the most zero-sum. 7/23 250
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Based on these questions from different domains, we construct a "zero-sum index" -- an indicator that captures a respondent’s general zero-sum worldview and the tendency to think in zero-sum terms regardless of the context. 6/23 140
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024To measure how prevalent zero-sum thinking is in the U.S., we ask respondents if they believe gains for some come at others' expense in different relations: between countries, racial groups, immigrants vs non-immigrants, and income groups. 5/23 160
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 03/12/2024Zero-sum thinking is a key mindset that shapes how we view the world. A little thread to highlight our work on its roots with @sahilchinoy.bsky.social, @nathannunn.bsky.social, Sandra Sequeira.🧵1/23 scholar.harvard.edu/files/stantc... 710732
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 12/11/2024It’s hard to overstate how much people hate inflation—and the lasting scars this recent surge caused. People across the board, even Democrats, mainly blamed the government (see the figure👇). Check the summary 🧵for "Why do we dislike inflation?" here: x.com/S_Stantcheva... 1211134
Stefanie Stantcheva @s-stantcheva.bsky.social · 12/11/2024I often think about this: younger people in the US and other wealthy nations are far more likely to have a zero-sum mindset—the idea that someone’s gain means a loss for others—compared to older generations. From our paper on zero-sum thinking (full 🧵 x.com/S_Stantcheva...) 57418
