Preferences for redistribution in the land of opportunities

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Alesina, A; La Ferrara, E
• 署名单位: Harvard University; National Bureau of Economic Research; Bocconi University; Bocconi University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.05.009
• 发表日期: 2005
• 页码: 897-931
• 关键词: Redistribution; mobility; equal opportunities

摘要

This paper explores how individual preferences for redistribution depend on future income prospects. In addition to estimating the impact of individuals' socioeconomic background and of their subjective perceptions of future mobility, we employ panel data to construct 'objective' measures of expected gains and losses from redistribution for different categories of individuals. We find that such measures have considerable explanatory power and perform better than 'general mobility' indexes. We also find that preferences for redistribution respond to individual beliefs on what determines one's position in the social ladder. Ceteris paribus, people who believe that the American society offers 'equal opportunities are more averse to redistribution. (c) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.