Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/314646 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 11607
Publisher: 
CESifo GmbH, Munich
Abstract: 
The space sector has remained central to geopolitics since the end of the Cold War, leading to an increase in national space spending worldwide. This study investigates how public support for space funding is influenced by information about (i) national space spending, (ii) the spending of geopolitical rivals, and (iii) the roles of private companies. We collected data from 2,135 citizens from the nine most important spacefaring nations. When informing them about their national space budgets, we find an increased willingness to increase their national space budget. However, information about high spending from rivals significantly reduces support for space budgets. When it comes to solving geopolitically relevant tasks, citizens show no preference for traditional space agencies over private companies, except in the US, where NASA receives stronger support than private firms. The findings serve as a caution to policymakers against using comparative rhetoric, as it may inadvertently reduce public support for space funding.
Subjects: 
geopolitics
space race
contest theory
policy preferences
limited information
public economics
JEL: 
C99
D83
F50
F51
H50
H56
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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