HPS³ - Krzysztof Krakowski - Compliance and Accountability: Evidence from a Field Experiment in ArgentinaWe welcome Krzysztof Krakowski (Collegio Carlo Alberto) on November 29 2023

29 November 2023

The Hamburg Political Science Seminar Series (HPS³) features international speakers presenting cutting-edge research in empirical political science and political economy.

We welcome on November 29 2023, 17:15-18:45 CET in VMP9 B136 & via Zoom

Krzysztof Krakowsk (Collegio Carlo Alberto) - Title: Compliance and Accountability: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Argentina, (with Lucas Ronconi, University of Buenos Aires)

Abstract: Does compliance with low-cost civic duties increase demand for social accountability? We address this question by conducting a field experiment at train stations in Buenos Aires. We create exogenous variation in compliance with paying the public transportation fare by: i) highlighting sanctions for non-compliance and ii) appealing to compliance norms whereby 90% passengers pay the ticket. We find that both sanctions and norms treatments raise compliance. However, only appeals to compliance norms make treated passengers more willing to sign a petition demanding quality public transportation service – our measure of demand for social accountability. To probe the mechanisms explaining these patterns, we show that compliance invoked by adherence to norms makes subjects feel more entitled to demand accountability and trust the government to respect this right to a greater extent. Our findings suggest that raising compliance through appeals to social norms may thus have wider benefits for civic behaviors.

The HPS³ seminars take place  in person at the UHH and are live-streamed on Zoom.

 Please find the preliminary program on the HPS³ Website.

 We invite everyone interested to attend and are looking forward to seeing you.