Intergenerational transmission of luck versus effort beliefs

Manja Gärtner, Johanna Mollerstrom and David Seim

Economics Letters, 2023, vol. 232, issue C

Abstract: Beliefs about whether luck or effort determines individuals’ economic outcomes in life (luck vs effort beliefs) are central for individuals’ opinions on inequality and political preferences. Those who think that luck is relatively more important than effort generally accept less inequality, want more economic redistribution and support a larger welfare state. We study the transmission of luck vs effort beliefs from parents to children. By means of an original, representative survey of Swedish parents, matched to administrative data, we document that the vast majority teach their children not only that effort is crucial for economic success, but that effort is more important than what they themselves actually believe it to be.

Keywords: Inequality; Redistribution; Social mobility; Survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 D63 H23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:232:y:2023:i:c:s0165176523003701

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2023.111345

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