Impact of Automation and Globalization on Extreme Political Preferences

Pinar Yildirim, Marketing, The Wharton School; Maria Petrova, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; and Gregor Schubert, Harvard Business School

Abstract: In this proposal, we argue that support of populism can be explained by the interaction between individual economic and social experiences and aggregate economic shocks. We test empirically if personal experiences, information environment, and their interaction with aggregate economic shocks shape people’s political decisions. The project can also shed light on policies that can convince people to stop supporting populist and extreme policies.