Wealth, Income, and Preferences for Redistribution: Evidence from 30 countries

Liza G Steele; Joseph Nathan Cohen; Joseph R van der Naald

doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2022.102746

Wealth, Income, and Preferences for Redistribution: Evidence from 30 countries

Soc Sci Res. 2022 Nov:108:102746. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2022.102746. Epub 2022 Sep 7.

Authors

Liza G Steele¹, Joseph Nathan Cohen², Joseph R van der Naald³

Affiliations

¹ CUNY: John Jay College of Criminal Justice and The Graduate Center, United States. Electronic address: LSteele@jjay.cuny.edu.
² CUNY: Queens College, United States. Electronic address: joseph.cohen@qc.cuny.edu.
³ CUNY: The Graduate Center, United States. Electronic address: jvandernaald@gradcenter.cuny.edu.

PMID: 36334917
DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2022.102746

Abstract

This analysis probes the relationship between individuals' preferences for redistribution and their economic self-interest. We analyze personal finance and preferences data from 30 countries included in the 2009 ISSP to analyze whether respondents' personal income, financial wealth, or housing wealth are related to their opinions about economic redistribution, poor aid, and unemployment support. We find evidence of a relationship between income and preferences in English-speaking OECD countries, and between home equity, financial wealth, and preferences in Nordic countries. However, that linkage varies by policy attitude and asset type, and is also non-existent in some countries.

Keywords: Attitudes; Home equity; Personal finances; Preferences for Redistribution; Wealth.

MeSH terms

Attitude*
Housing
Humans
Income*