Public policy

Psychological intervention

Argument (complex analysis)

Philosophy

Environmental economics

Social psychology

Intrusiveness

Opposition (politics)

Public relations

Psychiatry

Economics

Biochemistry

Empirical evidence

Business

Psychology

Politics

Political science

Public economics

Epistemology

Environmental policy

Chemistry

Economic growth

Public opinion

Environmental Politics

In industrialised countries, emissions from fossil-fuelled vehicles show little sign of abatement, with citizens’ opposition to policy interventions arguably the key reason. To better understand the sources of public opinion towards particular types of policy instruments designed to reduce vehicle emissions, we focus on the perceived consequences of such instruments, notably the extent to which they are regarded as effective, fair, and unintrusive. Switzerland is the empirical focus because it lags behind neighbouring European countries. We assess public support for seven policy instruments, identified by existing literature and expert interviews. A survey-embedded experiment with a representative sample of 2,034 citizens provides support for the argument that policy instruments perceived as effective, fair, and unintrusive achieve higher levels of public support. These results may help policymakers design interventions that strike a balance between political feasibility and problem-solving effectiveness.

Public support for environmental policy depends on beliefs concerning effectiveness, intrusiveness, and fairness