Testing for Budget Constraint Effects in a National Advisory Referendum Survey on the Kyoto Protocol
By: Li, Hui; Berrens, Robert P.; Bohara, Alok K.; Jenkins-Smith, Hank C.; Silva, Carol L.; Weimer, David L.
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Citation
Li, Hui; Berrens, Robert P.; Bohara, Alok K.; Jenkins-Smith, Hank C.; Silva, Carol L.; Weimer, David L., Testing for Budget Constraint Effects in a National Advisory Referendum Survey on the Kyoto Protocol, Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Volume 30, Issue 2, August 2005, Pages 350-366
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Abstract
In contrast to providing standard reminders about remembering household budgets, does asking survey respondents about their discretionary income and its use affect their voting responses in a national advisory referendum survey? We explore this question using U.S. household data from a unique set of multi-mode random samples (telephone and Internet surveys), and an advisory referendum concerning the Kyoto Protocol. The contingent valuation method is applied to estimate household willingness to pay (WTP) for a split-sample treatment: respondents who only received a standard reminder of household budgets (control group) versus respondents who received two mental accounting-type questions on discretionary income and its uses (treatment group). Results indicate that the treatment significantly influences voting responses and lowers estimated household WTP.