(Not) Everyone can be a winner - The role of payoff interdependence for redistribution☆

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Strang, Louis; Schaube, Sebastian
• 署名单位: University of Cologne
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105320
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: Redistribution; fairness; Zero-sum; social preferences; lab experiment

摘要

Frequently, one person's success comes at the expense of others. We contrast such zero-sum environments in which individuals' payoffs are interdependent to those where payoffs are independent. Ina laboratory experiment, we study whether the resulting inequality is perceived differently and how this affects redistribution. Across treatments, we compare a spectator's redistribution of two workers' earnings. If workers do not compete in a zero-sum setting, average redistribution decreases. Ina representative survey, we replicate this finding and document that individuals who believe in a zero-sum world support higher levels of redistribution and are more likely to consider themselves a member of the Democratic party.