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The Review of Economics and Statistics Vol. 99 No. 3 2017

In Aid We Trust: Hearts and Minds and the Pakistan Earthquake of 2005

Tahir Andrabi1; Jishnu Das2

1 Pomona College · 2 World Bank and Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi

open access

Abstract

In 2005 an earthquake in northern Pakistan led to a significant inflow of international relief groups. Four years later, trust in Europeans and Americans was markedly higher among those exposed to the earthquake and the relief that followed. These differences reflect the greater provision of foreign aid and foreigner presence in affected villages rather than preexisting population differences or a general impact of disasters on trust. We thus demonstrate large-scale, durable attitudinal change in a representative Muslim population. Trust in Westerners among Muslims is malleable and not a deeply rooted function of preferences or global (as opposed to local) policy and actions.

DOI
10.1162/rest_a_00638
Volume
99
Issue
3
Pages
371-386
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref

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