Perceptions of inevitability and demand for redistribution: Evidence from a survey experiment

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2019
Volume: 159
Issue: C
Pages: 274-288

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Believing that inequality is inevitable may limit demand for redistribution. We explore this idea with a survey experiment in South Africa, one of the most unequal countries in the world. Inevitability beliefs can be influenced by learning about lower inequality elsewhere. We find that the demand for redistributive policies reacts to this information, while it is insensitive to other types of information/messages. Our analysis suggests a promising, and heretofore unexplored, avenue of research for refining our understanding of the determinants of demand for redistribution.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:159:y:2019:i:c:p:274-288
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29