Aligning Preferences for Redistribution of Right and Left Wing Voters by Correcting Their Beliefs about Inequality: Evidence from a Randomized Survey Experiment in Australia

57 Pages Posted: 8 May 2019

See all articles by Christopher Hoy

Christopher Hoy

World Bank

Russell Toth

School of Economics, University of Sydney

Date Written: March 25, 2019

Abstract

Are differences in preferences for redistribution between right and left wing voters amplified because of misperceptions of inequality? To answer this question, we conduct a nationally representative, randomized survey experiment of 2,584 Australians in which respondents either received information about the level of national inequality and economic mobility, their position in the national income distribution, or no information. We show that both types of information about inequality lead to convergence in preferences for redistribution and charitable giving between right and left wing voters. The effect from the treatments are predominantly due to right wing voters becoming more progressive in their views.

Keywords: inequality, social mobility, redistribution, political economy

JEL Classification: D31, D63, D72, D83, O50, P16, H23

Suggested Citation

Hoy, Christopher and Toth, Russell Dean, Aligning Preferences for Redistribution of Right and Left Wing Voters by Correcting Their Beliefs about Inequality: Evidence from a Randomized Survey Experiment in Australia (March 25, 2019). Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Working Paper - 4/2019, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3359391 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3359391

Christopher Hoy (Contact Author)

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Russell Dean Toth

School of Economics, University of Sydney ( email )

Rm 506 Social Sciences Building A02
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006 2008
Australia
+61 2 9351 8542 (Phone)
+61 2 9351 4341 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://sydney.edu.au/arts/economics/staff/academic/russell_toth.shtml

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
59
Abstract Views
521
Rank
648,767
PlumX Metrics