Individual Preferences for Political Redistribution

32 Pages Posted: 22 Mar 2001

See all articles by Giacomo Corneo

Giacomo Corneo

Free University of Berlin (FUB); Universität Osnabrück - Faculty of Business Administration - Department of Economics; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

H. P. Gruner

University of Mannheim - Department of Economics; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Date Written: February 2001

Abstract

What drives people's support of governmental reduction of income inequality? We employ data from a large international survey in order to evaluate the explanatory power of three competing forces, referred to as the "homo oeconomicus effect", the "public values effect", and the "social rivalry effect". The empirical analysis reveals that at the aggregate level all three effects play a significant role in shaping individual preferences for political redistribution. Attitudes of citizens in formerly socialist countries turn out to differ from those of western citizens in a systematic way.

Keywords: Governmental redistribution, political attitudes

JEL Classification: D31, D72, H23

Suggested Citation

Corneo, Giacomo and Grüner, Hans Peter, Individual Preferences for Political Redistribution (February 2001). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=264331

Giacomo Corneo (Contact Author)

Free University of Berlin (FUB) ( email )

Van't-Hoff-Str. 8
D-10785 Berlin, Berlin 14195
Germany

Universität Osnabrück - Faculty of Business Administration - Department of Economics ( email )

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Osnabrueck, D-49069
Germany
+49 541 969 2730 (Phone)
+49 541 969 2722 (Fax)

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research)

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Munich, DE-81679
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.CESifo.de

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Hans Peter Grüner

University of Mannheim - Department of Economics ( email )

D-68131 Mannheim
Germany

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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