Why Are Relatively Poor People Not More Supportive of Redistribution? Evidence from a Randomized Survey Experiment across Ten Countries
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy · 2021 · Christopher Hoy、Franziska Mager
中文摘要
我们检验了关于再分配偏好的开创性理论所依据的一个关键假设, 即相对贫困者应当最支持再分配。我们在10个国家开展了一项随机调查实验, 参与者超过30,000人, 其中一半被告知自己在国民收入分布中的位置。与流行观点相反, 被告知自己比原先以为的相对更贫困的人, 对不平等的关注更少, 也并不更支持再分配。这一发现与以下解释一致: 人们将自己的生活水平作为判断他人可接受水平的“基准”。
Abstract
We test a key assumption underlying seminal theories about preferences for redistribution, which is that relatively poor people should be the most in favor of redistribution. We conduct a randomized survey experiment with over 30,000 participants across 10 countries, half of whom are informed of their position in the national income distribution. Contrary to prevailing wisdom, people who are told they are relatively poorer than they thought are less concerned about inequality and are not more supportive of redistribution. This finding is consistent with people using their own living standard as a “benchmark” for what they consider acceptable for others.