The Distributional Preferences of Americans

Raymond Fisman, Pamela Jakiela and Shachar Kariv

No 20145, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We measure the distributional preferences of a large, diverse sample of Americans by embedding modified dictator games that vary the relative price of redistribution in the American Life Panel. Subjects' choices are generally consistent with maximizing a (social) utility function. We decompose distributional preferences into two distinct components - fair-mindedness (tradeoffs between oneself and others) and equality-efficiency tradeoffs - by estimating constant elasticity of substitution utility functions at the individual level. Approximately equal numbers of Americans have equality-focused and efficiency-focused distributional preferences. After controlling for individual characteristics, our experimental measures of equality-efficiency tradeoffs predict the political decisions of our subjects.

JEL-codes: C91 D64 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp, nep-pol and nep-upt
Note: PE POL
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (39)

Published as Raymond Fisman, Pamela Jakiela, Shachar Kariv, "Distributional preferences and political behavior" Journal of Public Economics, Volume 155, November 2017, Pages 1-10

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