Microfoundations of Debt Crisis (MIDEBT)

Funded by an ERC Starting Grant 2022-2027

Project Overview

The MIDEBT project investigates the political foundations of sovereign debt crises with a particular focus on the role of individual-level attitudes and experiences. While most research on sovereign debt crises focuses on macroeconomic fundamentals, this project explores how citizens' and policymakers' attitudes and behaviors shape debt policy decisions and outcomes.

Research Objectives

  • Understand how individual-level attitudes toward public debt are formed and how they influence policy preferences
  • Explore how demographic characteristics (age, socioeconomic status, etc.) shape attitudes toward sovereign debt
  • Examine the role of cultural and historical factors in determining acceptable levels of public debt
  • Investigate how electoral incentives and political institutions mediate the relationship between public attitudes and debt policy

Project Publications

  • Age and Support for Public Debt Reduction

    DiGiuseppe, M., Brown, K., Aspidie, A., & Slaski, A. (forthcoming)

    European Journal of Political Research

  • Culture and European Attitudes on Public Debt

    DiGiuseppe, M., Brown, K., Aspidie, A., & Slaski, A. (2022)

    New Political Economy

    Link

Research Team

Principal Investigator

Matthew DiGiuseppe, Associate Professor of International Relations, Leiden University

Researchers

The project employs several PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers who investigate different aspects of sovereign debt policy and attitudes.

Contact & More Information

For more information about the MIDEBT project, please visit the official project website at www.midebt.org or contact Dr. Matthew DiGiuseppe at mdigiuseppe at gmail dot com.