TY  - JOUR
AU  - Viscusi,W. Kip
AU  - Zeckhauser,Richard J.
TI  - National Survey Evidence on Disasters and Relief: Risk Beliefs, Self-Interest, and Compassion
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 12582
PY  - 2006
Y2  - October 2006
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w12582
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w12582.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
W. Kip Viscusi
Vanderbilt Law School
131 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203-1181
Tel: 615/343-7715
E-Mail: kip.viscusi@vanderbilt.edu

Richard J. Zeckhauser
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University
79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA  02138
Tel: 617/495-1174
Fax: 617/384-9340
E-Mail: richard_zeckhauser@harvard.edu
AB  - A nationally representative sample of respondents estimated their fatality risks from four types of natural disasters, and indicated whether they favored governmental disaster relief.  For all hazards, including auto accident risks, most respondents assessed their risks as being below average, with one-third assessing them as average.  Individuals from high-risk states, or with experience with disasters, estimate risks higher, though by less than reasonable calculations require. Four-fifths of our respondents favor government relief for disaster victims, but only one-third do for victims in high-risk areas.  Individuals who perceive themselves at higher risk are more supportive of government assistance.
ER  -