Can Times of Crisis Strengthen 鈥楤lind Spots鈥 in Social Provision?
Re-evaluating the relationship between informal workers and the state in Colombia in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
22 February 2022
This cross-disciplinary project, involving the Institute of Americas and Institute of Global Health, conducted a survey in Colombia through Facebook to explore the relationship between informal workers and the state in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The survey听asked听participants for their views on a听hypothetical social security system and its financing. The team obtained a sample of close to 900 participants, with responses regarding their tax attitudes, how they听were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and their social spending preferences. The project team presented the听methodology at the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics 2021 Conference and are currently in the听process of analysing this data to provide a comprehensive picture of the appetite for social spending听reform following the COVID-19 pandemic.听
In addition, the project team are in the process of sharing听their knowledge in remote data collection with colleagues in their respective departments, which is much needed when travel restrictions are changing the way research can be conducted.听The project has also听established some contact with Colombian policymakers, who have expressed interest听in the results听of research paper once听published. The project team hope that this may help fiscal policy decision-making in Colombia.