jazmiahenry / riskperception

riskperception

In October 2008, a mere month before the 2008 Presidential Election, the unthinkable happened. The US Stock Market plunged to historical lows leaving Americans unsure about their future economic prospects. This economic downturn has become a significant event in modern American history- so significant, in fact, that many economists comment about the economic atmosphere using the designation "Pre" and "Post" the 2008 recession.
Realizing the significance of the time, researchers William Burns, Ellen Peters, and Paul Slovic began a longitudinal study on the attitudes of the American electorate. By employing eight separate surveys- referred to as "waves" in the paper- Burns et al were able to identify who changed their perceptions of the US economy and why.
Influenced by this seminal work, I use their data to see if the researcher's conclusions hold. Did the economic downturn truly change the perceived risk of an individual to lose their investment, jobs, savings, and ability to retire in the year? Do women truly perceive more risk during the economic downturn than men? How do different races compare? Is Income a significant negative predictor of perceived risk in the aftermath of the economic downturn?