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Should We Trust in Values? Explaining Public Support for Pro-Environmental Taxes

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  • Niklas Harring

    () (Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sprängkullsgatan 19, P.O. Box 711, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden, Political Science Unit, Luleå University of Technology & Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sprängkullsgatan 19, P.O. Box 711, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Sverker C. Jagers

    () (Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sprängkullsgatan 19, P.O. Box 711, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden, Political Science Unit, Luleå University of Technology & Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sprängkullsgatan 19, P.O. Box 711, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden)

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    Abstract

    In this paper we are concerned with what explains public acceptance and support of environmental taxes. We examine findings in environmental psychology emphasizing that people’s (environmental) value-orientation is the dominant driver determining individuals’ support for pro-environmental policy instruments. We introduce a complementary model, mainly drawing upon findings in political science, suggesting that people’s support for policy instruments is dependent on their level of political trust and their trust in other citizens. More specifically, we analyze whether political trust and inter-personal trust affect individuals’ support for an increased carbon dioxide tax in Sweden, while checking their value orientation, self-interest, and various socio-economic values. We make use of survey data obtained from a mail questionnaire sent out to a random sample of 3,000 individuals in 2009. We find that apart from people’s values, beliefs, and norms, both political trust and interpersonal trust have significant effects on people's attitudes toward an increased tax on carbon dioxide.

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    File URL: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/5/1/210/pdf
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    Bibliographic Info

    Article provided by MDPI, Open Access Journal in its journal Sustainability.

    Volume (Year): 5 (2013)
    Issue (Month): 1 (January)
    Pages: 210-227

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    Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:1:p:210-227:d:22889

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    Web page: http://www.mdpi.com/

    Related research

    Keywords: sustainable development; environment; environmental politics; values; trust; policy instruments;

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    1. Bruno S. Frey & Benno Torgler, 2006. "Tax Morale and Conditional Cooperation," IEW - Working Papers 286, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
    2. Torgler, Benno, 2003. "To evade taxes or not to evade: that is the question," The Journal of Socio-Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 283-302, July.
    3. Benno Torgler, 2003. "Tax Morale, Rule-Governed Behaviour and Trust," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 119-140, June.
    4. Tietenberg, T H, 1990. "Economic Instruments for Environmental Regulation," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 6(1), pages 17-33, Spring.
    5. Andrew Dobson, 2007. "Environmental citizenship: towards sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(5), pages 276-285.
    6. Hammar, Henrik & Jagers, Sverker C. & Nordblom, Katarina, 2009. "Perceived tax evasion and the importance of trust," The Journal of Socio-Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 238-245, March.
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