Ethnic Identity or Shared Goals? New Data on Politician Cooperation in Bosnia-Herzegovina

This study investigates interethnic cooperation among politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While ethnic relations significantly impact politics, research on elite behavior has largely ignored how shared interests influence cross-ethnic collaboration.

Methods: We conducted two experiments – a survey-based experiment with local politicians and a lab-in-the-field setting – to test the hypothesis that common policy priorities foster cooperation across ethnic lines.

Findings: Concrete information about overlapping agendas significantly reduced ethnic bias among political elites, encouraging greater interethnic collaboration for governance purposes rather than electoral competition.

Implications: These results offer insights into managing ethnic divisions in multi-ethnic states by strategically highlighting shared interests between different groups.