2023/11/08 by Matthew DiGiuseppe, Alessia Aspide, Jordan Malesky Becker · 1 voice · 1 citation
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Defense, Military, and Policy Studies #Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth #Fiscal Policies and Political Economy
paper · doi:10.1017/s0007123423000443
openalex publication_date 2023/11/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract The public places an important constraint on funding security in Europe, and austerity risks making the constraint tighter. Several recent studies show that curtailing military spending is a popular way to reduce debt in Europe. Yet it remains unclear if military spending aversion persists when threats are salient. We fielded an original survey experiment in Italy weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine to examine how information about security threats influences military spending preferences and fiscal trade-offs. We found that information about threats increases support for military spending. To validate the survey experiment, we recontacted and remeasured our respondent's preferences three weeks after Russia's invasion and find evidence consistent with our initial experiment. Our findings suggest that, while public opposition to military spending remains high in Italy, external threats dampen the public's opposition to military spending, even under high debt burdens.