Financial Internet Quarterly (Jun 2024)

The Impact of Fiscal Councils on Public Perception: A Survey Experiment in the Czech Republic

  • Morda Pavel,
  • Zeman Martin,
  • Klement Josef

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2478/fiqf-2024-0013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 2
pp. 77 – 88

Abstract

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This study examines the influence of fiscal councils on public opinion regarding fiscal issues. Using a survey-framing experiment on a representative sample of 900 inhabitants of the Czech Republic, the study evaluates how the framing of a message regarding the negative effects of rising government debt would impact the attitudes of respondents. The results show that framing the message as coming from the Czech Fiscal Council does not increase its credibility. Fiscal councils should not focus on persuading the public of their viewpoint on public finance issues, but rather utilize the knowledge of agenda-setting theory to gain media attention for fiscal issues.

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