HPS³ - Mark Hallerberg - Great Power Perceptions of Multi-lateral Development Banks?

This event takes place in English.

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

We welcome on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 - 17:15-18:45 CET in VMP9 S28

Mark Hallerberg (Hertie School)

Title: Great Power Perceptions of Multi-lateral Development Banks? Voter Perceptions of the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in India

Paper authors: Mark Hallerberg (Hertie School) and Sahil Deo (CPC Analytics), withOm Marathe (CPC Analytics) and Jayati Sharma (CPC Analytics)

Abstract:
If an investment project is to be built, would voters prefer that the local government fund it alone or with a multi-lateral development bank (MDBs)? 
Moreover, do voters prefer specific MDBs, and if so, why? We examine these questions through in-person survey evidence from 2572 individuals living in four Indian cities. We focus on two MDBs, namely the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. We provide a short version of the relevant Bank’s description of itself in one treatment. In a second, we add the name of the city where the Bank is headquartered. A control version includes only local government. We have several findings. Counter to work done in other countries, where voters prefer international funding for projects over strictly domestic funding, our sample has the highest approval for a project when the local government does it alone. There is somewhat less support for MDB involvement when the Bank’s location is not included. When the Bank’s location is included, there is a significant drop in positive perceptions for AIIB funding but less so for World Bank funding. Our findings suggest that perceptions of the AIIB, particularly its headquarters' location, significantly affect overall project perception. 
Our research highlights the multifaceted nature of public perception and the importance of factors such as awareness, location, gender, education, and pre-existing beliefs.

Keywords: political economy; foreign aid; Multi-lateral development bank; India 

The HPS³ seminars take place in person at the UHH. Please find the preliminary program on the HPS³ Website.

We invite everyone interested to attend the HPS Seminar Series and are looking forward to seeing you.