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Social identity and redistributive preferences: a survey

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  • Costa-Font, Joan
  • Cowell, Frank

Abstract

Social identity is increasingly accepted as a key concept underpin- ning the endogeneity of economic behaviour and preferences. This feature is especially important in explaining redistribution preferences as well as attitudes towards redistribution and pro-social behaviour. This paper carries out a review of the literature on the question and ex- amines how economic theory conceptualises and empirically measures social identity and its effects on preferences towards redistribution, so- cial solidarity and redistributive institutions. Findings indicate that social identity does carries a weight in explaining the presence of social preferences and attitudes towards redistributive institutions.

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  • Costa-Font, Joan & Cowell, Frank, 2012. "Social identity and redistributive preferences: a survey," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 44307, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:44307
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social identity; preferences for redistribution; inequal- ity; diversity; redistributive institutions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H1 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty

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