The Dynamics of Devolution: Causal Effects of External Shocks

Last registered on July 26, 2021

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

The Dynamics of Devolution: Causal Effects of External Shocks

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0007987

Initial registration date

July 22, 2021

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

July 26, 2021, 11:23 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Region

Primary Investigator

Name

Andrea Martinangeli

Affiliation

Burgundy School of Business

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Lisa Windsteiger

PI Affiliation

Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance

Contact Investigator

PI Name

Willem Sas

PI Affiliation

University of Stirling

Contact Investigator

PI Name

John Houston

PI Affiliation

University of Stirling

Contact Investigator

PI Name

David Bell

PI Affiliation

University of Stirling

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

In development

Start date

2021-07-21

End date

2021-08-31

Keywords

Electoral, Governance, Welfare

Additional Keywords

JEL code(s)

Secondary IDs

Abstract

This project aims at investigating the dynamics of constitutional change. What drives the demand for (more) devolution, or even secession? Do these attitudes lie on one and the same spectrum? While politically and historically-rooted factors matter in this respect, critical junctures in the form of large, external shocks surely have their part to play as well?
We focus on the latter and propose to run a large online survey experiment Scotland and England exploiting the Covid-19 epidemic as an exogenous shock on the political institutions.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Bell, David et al. 2021. "The Dynamics of Devolution: Causal Effects of External Shocks." AEA RCT Registry. July 26. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.7987-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

Intervention Start Date

2021-07-21

Intervention End Date

2021-08-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

See attachments

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

We randomise whether the respondents are primed with Covid-19 questions before answering our outcome questions, and, within the primed group, whether the Covid-19 questions focus on its economic or everyday life consequences.

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

Computer

Randomization Unit

Individual

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

10000 individuals in England, 3000 in Scotland

Sample size: planned number of observations

10000 individuals in England, 3000 in Scotland

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

Equal size of treatment arms within each of England and Scotland

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Minimal detectable effects are MDE=0.12 and MDE=0.06 on standardized outcome measures at alpha=0.05 and power=0.8 in, respectively, Scottish and English within-country analyses.

Supporting Documents and Materials

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