Individual Attitudes Toward Government’s Role in Redistributing Income in the United States: Analysis by Ideological Subgroups

This paper tests whether effects of individual characteristics on redistributive preferences are constant across ideological subgroups. Using data from the U.S. General Social Surveys, we estimate ordered probit models for a full pooled sample, and liberal, moderate, and conservative subsamples. Wide cleavages in redistributive attitudes between liberals and conservatives, and between Democrats and Republicans are observed. Substantial gaps between Democrats and Republicans persist within ideological subgroups. Attitudinal differences across social classes exist for conservatives and moderates, but not liberals. Among moderates and conservatives, blacks are more likely than whites to support government redistribution. No black-white gap is observed among liberals. Though conservative women are more likely than conservative men to support major government involvement in redistribution, no gender gap emerges for liberals or moderates. Full sample results suggest that education has no discernible impact on redistributive attitudes, but subsample results strongly suggest that a college degree reinforces ideological effects.