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Too Lucky to Be True: Fairness Views under the Shadow of Cheating

Author

Listed:
  • Stefania Bortolotti

    (University of Bologna & IZA)

  • Ivan Soraperra

    (Center for Humans and Machines, Max Planck Institute for Human Development Berlin)

  • Matthias Sutter

    (Center for Humans and Machines, Max Planck Institute for Human Development Berlin)

  • Claudia Zoller

    (Management Center Innsbruck)

Abstract

Income inequalities within societies are often associated with evidence that the rich are more likely to behave unethically and evade more taxes. We study how fairness views and preferences for redistribution are affected when cheating may, but need not, be the cause of income inequalities. In our experiment, we let third parties redistribute income between a rich and a poor stakeholder. In one treatment, income inequality was due only to luck, whereas in two others rich stakeholders might have cheated. The mere suspicion of cheating changes third parties’ fairness views considerably and leads to a strong polarization that is even more pronounced when cheating generates negative externalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefania Bortolotti & Ivan Soraperra & Matthias Sutter & Claudia Zoller, 2025. "Too Lucky to Be True: Fairness Views under the Shadow of Cheating," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 107(3), pages 771-785, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:107:y:2025:i:3:p:771-785
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01394
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