Anmerkungen:
Nach Informationen von SSRN wurde die ursprüngliche Fassung des Dokuments July 1, 2023 erstellt
Beschreibung:
Dishonest politicians can be highly detrimental to economic development. How do disasters reshape politicians’ lies? Using data from the tragic famine in China (1959-1961), we employ a difference-in-differences approach to show that public officials with childhood (0-6 years) famine exposure are less manipulative in local GDP calculations, and the reduction in manipulation is more significant for officials more severely impacted by the disaster. We further reveal that famine-exposed local politicians take stronger moral stances on honesty, and are thus more reluctant to lie. The paper highlights how false policymaking alters the long-term welfare of society through occupational externalities