US Citizens Research Articles

Leveraging Cost-Effective AI and Smart Technologies for Rapid Infrastructural Development in USA

High cost of building makes houses expensive for US citizens and residents. Thus, this study proposes the leveraging of cost-effective artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technologies (ST) for rapid infrastructural development in US. It considers them as sustainable means of tackling the challenges for the attainment of affordable houses. The study explores the potentials of prominent AI and smart technologies capable of reducing the cost of building houses in the US, for which houses would become affordable for all. The primary data are obtained from telephone interviews with 10 construction workers and 5 experts of AI, alongside observation and introspection. The secondary data are drawn from library and the internet. Qualitative method, thematic and content analyses, systematic review, and descriptive and interpretive tools are employed. The results show Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, and Robotic Process Automation to be prominent cost-effective AI technologies, while Building Automation Systems, Internet of Things, Renewable Energy Systems, and Smart Water Management Systems are cost-effective smart technologies. The study concludes that the identified AI and smart technologies are not only cost-effective, but also transformative and innovation-driven and can be leveraged to increase efficiency, productivity, quality delivery and satisfactory services. The study recommends them to government and organizations for cost-effectiveness towards attaining rapid infrastructural development in the USA.

International Travel for Organ Transplantation: Provider and Patient Perspectives.

Organ allocation in the United States to non-US citizen, non-US residents who travel for transplant (NC/NRTx) is controversial. Current policies may not be informed by stakeholder opinions, as limited data exist assessing the knowledge or opinions of providers or patients on this issue. A cross-sectional, hospital-based pilot survey was distributed to providers and patients from December 2019 to June 2020 at a single large urban transplant institute. Providers were members of the departments of surgery and medicine and included both transplant and nontransplant providers. Surveys included 10 questions on eligibility, prioritization, and limitations for deceased donor transplantation and 12 demographic questions. A total of 209 providers responded (61% women, median age 40) and 119 patients responded (62% women, median age 54). Awareness of eligibility for transplantation of US citizens, non-US citizens residing in the United States (NC/R), and NC/NRTx was high in both groups, though providers and patients lacked awareness of the eligibility of nonlegal NC/R (those who live in the United States who are not citizens and are not legal residents) to donate and receive organs. Overall, 79.3% of patients stated that NC/NRTx should be eligible for transplant in the United States compared with only 60.7% of providers (P = 0.001). Providers were more likely than patients to prioritize transplant to legal NC/NR over NC/NRTx (58.2% versus 35.1%, P < 000.1) and reported that families should be able to limit donations to NC/NRTx (34.9% versus 23.2%, P = 0.03). Surveyed patients and providers generally support transplant in non-US citizens; however, the strength of support varied considerably based on the legal status of the patient and the occupation of those surveyed. Larger studies are necessary to develop data-informed policy.

Disaster preparedness among Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American communities.

Disaster experiences and explorations of preparedness among Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi Americans (APIDA) in the United States are often overlooked owing to their relatively smaller population share. APIDA are not homogenous, and their disaster experiences warrant further examination. This paper does so by investigating disaster preparedness using disaggregated information about APIDA. The study utilises nationally representative data from the 2017 American Housing Survey, analysing sociodemographic covariates. The disaster preparedness score among APIDA communities was approximately 4.81 on a zero to nine scale. APIDA renters and non-US citizens were less prepared than homeowners and US citizens. Among subgroups, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese respondents who were non-US citizens were less prepared than those who were US citizens. Marital status was significantly and positively associated with preparedness among Indians, Japanese, Vietnamese, and multiracial respondents. The findings underscore the importance of data disaggregation and tailored preparedness information and resources to address specific challenges APIDA communities face instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

Eco-endorsement dynamics: unraveling the influence of celebrity attitudes on eco-product perceptions and purchase decisions

PurposeThis research delved into the intricate dynamics between celebrity endorsements and consumer behavior focusing on eco-friendly wine product. This study aims to understand the relationship between attitudes toward the celebrity endorser (CATT), perception of wine as eco-friendly (PECO), overall positive attitude toward the product (PATT) and the intention to purchase (PINT).Design/methodology/approachThe present study relies on a large sample of 478 US citizens. Mediation moderation analysis is adopted for data analysis.FindingsThe findings revealed a full mediation effect where the influence of CATT on PINT is primarily through PECO and PATT. This suggests that the celebrity's endorsement indirectly affects purchase intention by first influencing perceptions of the product's eco-friendliness and the overall product attitude. Notably, perceiving wine as eco-friendly leads to a favorable product attitude, subsequently enhancing purchase intentions. While CATT significantly impacts both PECO and PATT, its effect is more potent on PATT, emphasizing that the celebrity's overall image might align more closely with the general product attitude than specific attributes like eco-friendliness.Originality/valueRecognizing the complex landscape of the wine market, the research emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive marketing strategies that consider both the direct and mediated impacts of celebrity endorsements. The findings offer a foundational framework for understanding the nuanced interplay of celebrity endorsement, product perception and purchase intention in the context of the wine market.

Audience Costs and the Credibility of Public versus Private Threats in International Crises

Abstract The credibility of public versus private threats in international crisis bargaining has received scholarly attention. While public threats are often believed to be more credible than private ones because of audience costs, others contend that private threats should be equally credible or even more. Also, the effect of public threats can be conditioned by other domestic factors such as domestic hawkishness and a leader’s unpopularity. To test these competing expectations, I conducted a conjoint survey experiment that examines how observers assess resolve to fight in an international crisis with a sample of US citizens (N = 1,203). Three major findings stand out. First, evidence suggests that both types of threats increase the perceived likelihood that a country will stand firm. Second, though their effect size is small, public threats are more effective than private ones. Lastly, I find support for the conditional effect of public threats, indicating that the underlying mechanism of the credibility of public threats is domestic audience costs.

Social Media in the Aftermath of the 2016 US Presidential Election: Disruption at the Cost of Connection

This data captures people’s experiences as unknowing targets of disinformation. Participants were US citizens naive to the actions of the different entities using social media to target Americans with disinformation in the months leading up to the 2016 US presidential election. Results indicated participants reported notable changes in their interactions on social media in the form of disruptions to existing relationships. Specifically, participants reported that they argued with their connections more, observed others disagree more, and reported an increase in the loss of friends and family connections through the unfriending or unfollowing features of social media. While, some participants found these changes amusing, most reported increased psychological distress. Not one participant mentioned Russian election interference or disinformation as the cause of these interpersonal difficulties. Analysis of text responses did not include any mention of disinformation, Cambridge Analytica, or Russia as causes of these disruptions. These results suggest that social media use has implications for individuals’ social relationships and these disruptions may impact their psychological functioning. Implications of these results for the psychological impacts of social media use will be discussed.

Association of depression and self-reported health status by birthplace and citizenship status: Results from the 2010–2018 National Health Interview Survey

BackgroundSelf-reported health (SRH) is an important indicator of mental health outcomes. More information, however, is needed on whether this association varies by birthplace (defined as US-born or non-US-born) and citizenship status (i.e., non-US-born citizen, non-US citizen, and US-born citizen). MethodsWe examined the associations between SRH and depression among non-US-born US citizens, non-US citizens, and US-born citizens aged 18 years and older using weighted cross-sectional data from the 2010–2018 National Health Interview Survey (n = 139,884). Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between depression and SRH by citizenship status, adjusting for covariates. ResultsUS-born citizens reported the highest prevalence of depression (40.3 %), and non-US-born citizens reported the highest prevalence of poor/fair SRH (14.5 %). Individuals with fair/poor SRH had a significantly increased likelihood of depression relative to those with good/very good/excellent for non-US-born US citizens (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.42, 95 % Confidence Interval [95 % CI] = 2.04–2.88), non-US citizens (AOR = 2.80, 95 % CI = 2.31–3.40), and US-born citizens (AOR = 2.31, CI = 2.18–2.45).Limitations.The study is cross-sectional, reducing the strength of determining causal relationships. Also, there is a possible response bias due to the self-reported nature of the data. ConclusionsOur study indicates that fair/poor SRH is significantly associated with an increased likelihood of depression regardless of an individual citizenship status. Additionally, immigrants with fair/poor SRH had higher increased odds of depression. Therefore, mental healthcare interventions tailored for immigrants can reduce mental health problems and disparities among immigrants.

Coverage and Access Changes During Medicaid Unwinding

States resumed Medicaid eligibility redeterminations, which had been paused during the COVID-19 public health emergency, in 2023. This unwinding of the pandemic continuous coverage provision raised concerns about the extent to which beneficiaries would lose Medicaid coverage and how that would affect access to care. To assess early changes in insurance and access to care during Medicaid unwinding among individuals with low incomes in 4 Southern states. This multimodal survey was conducted in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas from September to November 2023, used random-digit dialing and probabilistic address-based sampling, and included US citizens aged 19 to 64 years reporting 2022 incomes at or less than 138% of the federal poverty level. Medicaid enrollment at any point since March 2020, when continuous coverage began. Self-reported disenrollment from Medicaid, insurance at the time of interview, and self-reported access to care. Using multivariate logistic regression, factors associated with Medicaid loss were evaluated. Access and affordability of care among respondents who exited Medicaid vs those who remained enrolled were compared, after multivariate adjustment. The sample contained 2210 adults (1282 women [58.0%]; 505 Black non-Hispanic individuals [22.9%], 393 Hispanic individuals [17.8%], and 1133 White non-Hispanic individuals [51.3%]) with 2022 household incomes less than 138% of the federal poverty line. On a survey-weighted basis, 1564 (70.8%) reported that they and/or a dependent child of theirs had Medicaid at some point since March 2020. Among adult respondents who had Medicaid, 179 (12.5%) were no longer enrolled in Medicaid at the time of the survey, with state estimates ranging from 7.0% (n = 19) in Kentucky to 16.2% (n = 82) in Arkansas. Fewer children who had Medicaid lost coverage (42 [5.4%]). Among adult respondents who left Medicaid since 2020 and reported coverage status at time of interview, 47.8% (n = 80) were uninsured, 27.0% (n = 45) had employer-sponsored insurance, and the remainder had other coverage as of fall 2023. Disenrollment was higher among younger adults, employed individuals, and rural residents but lower among non-Hispanic Black respondents (compared with non-Hispanic White respondents) and among those receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Losing Medicaid was significantly associated with delaying care due to cost and worsening affordability of care. The results of this survey study indicated that 6 months into unwinding, 1 in 8 Medicaid beneficiaries reported exiting the program, with wide state variation. Roughly half who lost Medicaid coverage became uninsured. Among those moving to new coverage, many experienced coverage gaps. Adults exiting Medicaid reported more challenges accessing care than respondents who remained enrolled.

Identifying modifiable risk factors to improve immigrant breast cancer screening in the United States.

1530 Background: Despite marked reductions in breast cancer mortality since 1990, recent data suggest that progress has slowed—owing in part to plateaus in breast cancer screening in underserved populations. Historically low rates of screening coupled with rising breast cancer incidence make immigrants an important population for targeted intervention. Herein, we (1) compare contemporary rates of breast cancer screening among immigrants versus US natives; and (2) identify modifiable risk factors to inform the development of interventions to improve screening among immigrants in the United States. Methods: Using data from the 2019 and 2021 National Health Interview Surveys, screening eligible female participants (ages 40-79 years old) were identified, then classified by immigrant status as defined by nativity (US native vs. foreign-born). Primary outcome was receipt of screening mammogram in the last two years. Logistic regression models examined associations between immigrant status and mammography, with and without adjustments for age, metropolitan residence, overall health status, and survey year. Sequential analysis was then used to assess the degree to which modifiable social risk factors influence the magnitude of the association between immigrant status and mammography. Results: Of 20,090 female participants included in the study, 20% were immigrants. Compared to US natives, immigrants were less likely to have received a mammogram in the last two years (67% vs. 72%, aOR [95%CI], 0.87 [0.78-0.96], p=0.006)—an effect that was most pronounced among immigrant noncitizens (57%; 0.55 [0.47-0.64], p&lt;0.001) but reversed among immigrants with US citizenship (74%; 1.14 [1.01-1.29], p=0.03). Of the factors assessed, having a usual source of care (5.73 [4.77-6.87]) or insurance (4.60 [3.74-5.67]) was associated with the greatest odds of biennial mammography, followed by educational attainment (1.38 [1.19-1.60]) and employment (1.19 [1.09-1.30]; all p&lt;0.001). While having a usual source of care or employment attenuated—but did not eliminate—the association between immigrant status and mammography (0.87 [0.78-0.96], p=0.01 and 0.89 [0.80-0.99], p=0.03, respectively), this finding was not observed upon inclusion of insurance status or education in sequential models (0.97 [0.87-1.09], p=0.6 and 1.09 [0.96-1.21], p=0.13, respectively). With respect to insurance type, Medicare Advantage (4.60 [3.74-5.67]) conferred the largest benefit, followed by private insurance (4.54 [4.00-5.26]), Medicaid (2.63 [2.20-3.14]), and Medicare (4.39 [3.53-5.46]; all p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Breast cancer screening remains low in noncitizen immigrant populations. Targeted interventions to improve access to health insurance coverage and primary care for noncitizens may be most effective for improving rates of screening mammography among immigrants and thus warrant further investigation.

Crowdsourcing Opinions and Awareness of Upper Extremity Transplantation in the United States.

Introduction As of 2008, the United States had 41,000 people living with upper extremity amputation. This number is projected to reach300,000 by 2050. Human upper extremity transplantation (HUET) may become a more common treatment option with the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for certain amputees. Awareness and opinions regarding HUETamong Americans, particularly in Veterans/Service Members (VSM) affiliates, are largely unknown. Materials and methods We administered a survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers. Eligible participants were US citizens aged ≥18 years; MTurk worker selection targeted workers who self-reported being a VSM. We used descriptive statistics to summarize study findings and Fisher's exact and Wilcoxon's rank-sum tests for between-group comparisons. Results The survey was completed by 764 individuals, 604 (79.1%) of whom reported being aware of HUET. Among those familiar versus unfamiliar, a significantly higher proportion were aged ≤35 years (n=385, 64.0% vs. n=86, 53.7%; p=0.017), employed (n=523, 86.6% vs. n=114, 71.3%; p<0.001), and aware of their religion's stance on organ/tissue donation (n=341, 54.5% vs. n=62, 38.8%; p<0.001). Amputees and/or respondents related to an amputee were more likely to be aware of HUET than individuals who were amputation naive (n=211, 90.6% vs. n=393, 74.0%, respectively; p<0.001), as were individuals with a personal or familial military affiliation (n=286, 85.4% with vs. n=318, 74.1% with no affiliation; p<0.001). The most reported HUET information sources were digital media (n=157, 31.2%) and internet (n=137, 27.2%). Conclusions Our survey of MTurk workers found greater awareness of HUET among individuals with a VSM or amputee connection. Our additional findings that the internet and academic sources, such as journals or reputable medical publications, were respondents' preferred sources of HUET information emphasize the importance of vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) centers' involvement in creating accurate and accessible content to help educate the public about this treatment.

“We Cannot Go There, They Cannot Come Here”: Dispersed Care, Asian Indian Immigrant Families and the COVID-19 Pandemic

“We Cannot Go There, They Cannot Come Here”: Dispersed Care, Asian Indian Immigrant Families and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dancing around gender expression and sex talk: LGBTQ+ asylum policy in the United States

In this article, I argue that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ current guidelines for LGBTQ+ asylum adjudication are both underinclusive and improperly restrictive. They are underinclusive because they are insufficiently attentive to LGBTQ+ applicants’ right to protection from persecution on the basis of gender expression. They also flatten the concept of gender identity by conflating it with transgender identity, thus reconsolidating a transgender/cisgender binary that impedes asylum officers’ ability to find cognizable those gender identities that exceed these two terms. The guidelines are also improperly restrictive because they forbid specific discussions of sex acts during the asylum interview. To be sure, this proscription is a response to widespread recent reports of abuse of applicants around the world. Nevertheless, it overcorrects for the problem and, in turn, hinders asylum officers’ ability to elicit detailed testimonies as well as impedes, in all likelihood, the ability of some applicants to furnish credible testimonials.

Nemzetközi Rendészeti Figyelő XIII.

Aim: Keeping up with the international law enforcement literature sometimes runs the risk of bringing together disparate topics in a single publication, as the theme of this issue of the Observer demonstrates. We can be convinced that, while our war-torn planet is giving priority to the centralised state police model, municipal police forces and community policing, which continue to be models at the forefront of strengthening local public security, must not lose their importance. Civil associations, which are an essential part of local security, are not far removed from the principle of decentralisation, and in our country they are embodied in the civil police. At the same time, migration flows, which have become a global phenomenon since 2015, continue to preoccupy the practice of law enforcement administration as well as theory. Only while the former sees illegal migration as a security and cultural threat, the latter cannot forget the humanity-driven protection of refugees. Nor can the fight against terrorism be left off the agenda, especially where these dramatic conflicts are accompanied by the rearrangement of different civilisational cultures. Lastly, the future role of artificial intelligence, for example in areas such as justice, cannot be ignored. Methodology: The authors of the studies primarily rely on empiricism to present the regularities of their research subject, but they also draw on methods tried and tested in the social sciences, especially in sociology, such as interviews and various questionnaires. There is also a lesson to be learned from the fact that the literature, mainly in English, also tries to develop a clear conceptual apparatus, as we have seen in the case of police research in Hungary. Findings: In his review of community policing, Kálmán Etter writes: ‘The publication reveals a specific form of organisation, in which community policing is a group of a few professional police officers and civil servants, operating in individual towns or in the urban areas of larger cities.’ Zsolt Lippai sums up the efforts of citizens to ensure public safety and the tasks of police science: ‘The increasing involvement of non-state actors in the creation of security and the use of methods other than those traditionally used in what might be called “traditional” policing have given rise to a number of theoretical and practical questions which police researchers are called upon to answer.’ Bernadett Bacsó draws attention to a little-studied consequence of migration: ‘In recent years, migration, especially migration driven by young men, has changed the gender balance in destination countries, as this trend leads to a lack of potential female partners.’ The main aim of the study was to build a picture of what Americans think about current issues such as national security, terrorism, counter-terrorism policies, immigration and religion. Tamás Pressburger cites the perceptions of US citizens about terrorism, but also what motivates these views: ‘Based on the experiment, the author concludes that when white subjects are informed that whites are projected to become a demographic minority in the United States by 2060, they are more likely to endorse the use of torture against suspected terrorists.’ Katalin Erdélyi's review highlights the controversial role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the administration of justice: ‘The author's conclusion in this excellent article is that the coexistence of AI and human judges risks a covert transfer of decision-making power.’ It could also be argued that the computer cannot take over the formation of internal judicial convictions because only humans can do that. Value: The modern rule of law makes humanity a core value. The studies to which issue XIII of the Observer draws attention, not infrequently accompanied by concern, represent this value system.

Contextualizing Individual Attitudes on Economic Statecraft

Abstract When do US citizens express greater support for economic intervention abroad in response to violations of international norms? Under what conditions do they express greater support for punitive sanctions or positive inducements? We know little about whether and to what extent citizens offer greater support for sanctions compared to positive inducements and how contextual factors might alter support for each. We design a conjoint survey experiment to gauge support for an intervention—i.e., sanctions or inducements—using comparable counterfactuals. We compare long-enduring bad behavior to recent shocks, differently framed consequences of inaction, as well as varying expertise levels among policy proposal authors. We also consider preexisting attitudes about the target country. In a US sample, we find that policy proposals are supported to a greater extent when they involve sanctions as opposed to inducements, but that preexisting affinity toward the country has a strong conditioning impact.

Intention of filing tax claims for religious donations: Results from a Muslim American survey

AbstractThis study examined the intention to claim exemption for zakat and other monetary donations on the annual tax return among US Muslims. We used a survey of 575 Muslims living in the United States to test several exploratory hypotheses. Our statistical results suggest that after controlling for other demographic differences, (1) respondents who identified as non‐Sunni (as opposed to Sunni) Muslims, had medium or high (as opposed to low) income, and those who believed that Covid‐19 is a Zakat‐eligible cause had higher odds of claiming an exemption for their Zakat donations; and (2) permanent residents (as opposed to US citizens), high (as opposed to low) income earners, non‐faith‐based donors, and those who believed that Covid‐19 is a Zakat‐eligible cause had higher odds of claiming exemption for their non‐Zakat monetary donations. Implications are discussed.

DO seniors and IMGs have lower match probabilities than MD seniors after adjusting for specialty choice and USMLE Step 1 score.

It is unknown if US residency applicants of different educational backgrounds (US allopathic [MD], Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine [DO], and international medical graduates [IMG]) but comparable academic performance have similar match success. Our objective was to compare match probabilities between applicant types after adjusting for specialty choice and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 scores. We performed a secondary analysis of published data in National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) reports from 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 for US MD seniors, DO seniors, and IMGs (US citizens and non-US citizens). We examined the 10 specialties with the most available spots in 2022. Average marginal effects from a multiple variable logistic regression model were utilized to estimate each non-MD senior applicant type's probability of matching into their preferred specialty compared to MD seniors adjusting for specialty choice, Step 1 score, and match year. Each non-MD applicant type had a lower adjusted percent difference in matching to their preferred specialty than MD seniors,-7.1 % (95 % confidence interval [CI],-11.3 to-2.9) for DO seniors,-45.6 % (-50.6 to-40.5) for US IMGs, and-56.6 % (-61.5 to-51.6) for non-US IMGs. Similarly, each non-MD applicant type had a lower adjusted percent difference in matching than MD seniors across almost all Step 1 score ranges, except for DO seniors with Step 1 scores <200 (-2.0 % [-9.5 to 5.5]). After adjusting for specialty choice, Step 1 score, and match year, non-US MD applicants had lower probabilities of matching into their preferred specialties than their US MD colleagues.

Enhancing Financial Literacy and Investment Skills through a Virtual Stock Trading Application

Currently, there are many real trading applications but there are not many simple stock market simulation applications where users can practice trading in the Indian stock market. We all know about the Stock Market and its losses. we also have heard stories about scams and huge losses in stocks from relatives, friends, and family, But not trying is not the solution to the problem, then what can we do about it? We can learn how it works, practice and then try it in the real market. Then our solution to this problem is to create an application where users can trade stocks with the demo (Virtual) money with real-time experience so that they can learn and afford to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes and make some good fortune in the real stock market and this initiative is focused on Indian audience for there are 58% of US citizens take part in trading activities while in India it is only 2% so by this initiative we think it can India to make more in the Sector of finance

Enhancing Financial Literacy and Investment Skills through a Virtual Stock Trading Application

Currently, there are many real trading applications but there are not many simple stock market simulation applications where users can practice trading in the Indian stock market. We all know about the Stock Market and its losses. we also have heard stories about scams and huge losses in stocks from relatives, friends, and family, But not trying is not the solution to the problem, then what can we do about it? We can learn how it works, practice and then try it in the real market. Then our solution to this problem is to create an application where users can trade stocks with the demo (Virtual) money with real-time experience so that they can learn and afford to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes and make some good fortune in the real stock market and this initiative is focused on Indian audience for there are 58% of US citizens take part in trading activities while in India it is only 2% so by this initiative we think it can India to make more in the Sector of finance.

Enhancing Financial Literacy and Investment Skills through a Virtual Stock Trading Application

Currently, there are many real trading applications but there are not many simple stock market simulation applications where users can practice trading in the Indian stock market. We all know about the Stock Market and its losses. we also have heard stories about scams and huge losses in stocks from relatives, friends, and family, But not trying is not the solution to the problem, then what can we do about it? We can learn how it works, practice and then try it in the real market. Then our solution to this problem is to create an application where users can trade stocks with the demo (Virtual) money with real-time experience so that they can learn and afford to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes and make some good fortune in the real stock market and this initiative is focused on Indian audience for there are 58% of US citizens take part in trading activities while in India it is only 2% so by this initiative we think it can India to make more in the Sector of finance. Key Words: Virtual stock trading, Stock market simulation, Financial literacy, Investment education, Online trading platforms, Stock market knowledge, Risk management, Investment skills, User experience, Financial education, Stock trading simulation, Virtual investing, Educational technology, Portfolio management.

Does Political Diversity Inhibit Blood Donations?

Does political diversity affect the prevalence of selfless behavior across a society? According to a recurrent finding from the study of social capital, ethnic diversity reduces prosocial behavior. We ask whether the same applies to partisan identity, by turning to a frequently used proxy for social capital: blood donations. The question is especially timely: the United States is currently experiencing its worst blood shortage in over a decade. Using survey results covering over 275,000 individuals in the US from 2010 to 2020, and a preregistered survey of an additional 3,500 respondents, we show that not all measures of social diversity have analogous effects on prosocial behavior. We find mixed evidence for a region’s share of immigrants being linked to lower blood donation by US citizens, and no negative effect for racial diversity. By contrast, political diversity appears to be highly significant. Specifically, individuals are less likely to donate blood when their partisan position is farther from the mean political identity in their state or commuting zone, and when they perceive themselves to be political outliers in their community. Affective polarization is known to be a tax on social interaction with out-partisans; as we show, depending on an area’s partisan makeup, it can also be a tax on prosocial behavior writ large.