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Behind the support for redistributive politics: Social preferences or beliefs?

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Listed:
  • Brañas, Pablo
  • Cabrales, Antonio
  • Espinosa, María Paz
  • García-Muñoz, Teresa

Abstract

In this paper we explore how individual social preferences correlate with political support for redistribution. We ran an incentivized experiment with a large representative sample of the Spanish population. Our participants took six decisions that elicited their social preferences. Their choices could result in a different total surplus and different distributions of the surplus between the subject and an anonymous counterpart. In our sample, social preferences are unrelated to political support for distributive policies. The main correlates for support of redistribution are the beliefs concerning the importance of effort versus luck for success (fairness), the trust in government institutions (effectiveness) and the perceived importance of the poverty problem (need).

Suggested Citation

  • Brañas, Pablo & Cabrales, Antonio & Espinosa, María Paz & García-Muñoz, Teresa, 2024. "Behind the support for redistributive politics: Social preferences or beliefs?," CEPR Discussion Papers 19274, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:19274
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pablo Brañas-Garza & Diego Jorrat & Antonio M. Espín & Angel Sánchez, 2023. "Paid and hypothetical time preferences are the same: lab, field and online evidence," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 26(2), pages 412-434, April.
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    4. Pablo Bra~nas-Garza & Antonio Cabrales & Mar'ia Paz Espinosa & Diego Jorrat, 2022. "The effect of ambiguity in strategic environments: an experiment," Papers 2209.11079, arXiv.org.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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