Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0

Author-Name: Tommaso Colussi
Author-X-Name-First: Tommaso
Author-X-Name-Last: Colussi
Author-Email: tommaso.colussi@unicatt.it
Author-Workplace-Name: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Author-Workplace-Name: Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore



Title: The Political Effects of Threats to the Nation: Evidence from the Cuban Missile Crisis.


Abstract: This paper investigates how voters respond to threats to the nation by estimating
the political effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis. To establish causality, I exploit the
geographical variation induced by the range of the missiles: only U.S. localities within
1,000 nautical miles from Cuba could be targeted. Difference-in-differences regressions
show that target counties experienced an increase in voter turnout and support for
the incumbent President’s party by 5 and 3 percentage points, respectively. Finally, I
find positive effects of the crisis on representatives’ support for military spending and
foreign intervention and on Americans’ probability to serve in Vietnam.
Length: 59
Creation-Date: 2021-06
File-URL: http://dipartimenti.unicatt.it/economia-finanza-def104.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
File-Function: First version, 2021
Number: def104
Classification-JEL: D72, D74, H56, D91. 
Keywords: Voting Behavior, International Crises, Cuban Missile Crisis.
Handle: RePEc:ctc:serie1:def104