%0 Report
        %A Bartos, Vojtech
%A Bauer, Michal
%A Cahlíková, Jana
%A Chytilová, Julie
        %T COVID-19 Crisis Fuels Hostility against Foreigners
        %D 2020
        %8 2020 May
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 13250
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp13250
        %X Aggressive behavior against out-group members often rises during periods of economic hardship and health pandemics. Here, we test the widespread concern that the Covid-19 crisis may fuel hostility against people from other nations or ethnic minorities. Using a controlled money-burning task, we elicited hostile behavior among a nationally representative sample (n=2,186) in the Czech Republic, at a time when the entire population was under lockdown. We provide causal evidence that exogenously elevating salience of the Covid-19 crisis magnifies hostility against foreigners. This behavioral response is similar across various demographic sub-groups. The results underscore the importance of not inflaming anti-foreigner sentiments and suggest that efforts to restore international trade and cooperation will need to address both social and economic damage.
        %K pandemic
%K hostility
%K discrimination
%K inter-group conflict
%K scapegoating
%K COVID-19
%K experiment