Do distributional consequences affect public goods provision? Insights from 5G antenna placement in Switzerland
Open access
Date
2022-05-05Type
- Working Paper
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
Distributional implications of public goods provision may affect the ability of societies to provide these. Particularly, localized provision costs may result in opposition in the vicinity of provision sites, reducing provision levels and/or efficiency (“not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) challenge). We examine mass public support on policy provision in this regard, focusing on 5G, the latest technology standard for mobile data transmission, and the placement of 5G antennas in particular. Based on survey experiments with a geo-coded representative sample of over 5’000 residents of Switzerland, revealing real-world antenna locations to respondents, we find that NIMBYism plays a role for individual attitudes/policy preference formation towards 5G expansion. NIMBYism also affects the (stated) propensity to engage in political action against 5G antennas, irrespective of monetary costs. Finally, NIMBYism can be mitigated when citizens decide under a veil of ignorance on a feasible distribution of siting locations, leaving actual site choice to be a technical process. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000593927Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
SocArXivPublisher
Center for Open ScienceEdition / version
v1Subject
Public goods; Technology; Mobile data; Survey; Experiment; Public opinionOrganisational unit
03446 - Bernauer, Thomas / Bernauer, Thomas
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ETH Bibliography
yes
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