The distributional preferences of Americans, 2013–2016

Raymond Fisman, Pamela Jakiela (), Shachar Kariv () and Silvia Vannutelli ()
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Pamela Jakiela: Williams College
Shachar Kariv: University of California, Berkeley
Silvia Vannutelli: Northwestern University

Experimental Economics, 2023, vol. 26, issue 4, No 1, 727-748

Abstract: Abstract We study the distributional preferences of Americans during 2013–2016, a period of social and economic upheaval. We decompose preferences into two qualitatively different tradeoffs—fair-mindedness versus self-interest, and equality versus efficiency—and measure both at the individual level in a large and diverse sample. Although Americans are heterogeneous in terms of both fair-mindedness and equality-efficiency orientation, we find that the individual-level preferences in 2013 are highly predictive of those in 2016. Subjects that experienced an increase in household income became more self-interested, and those who voted for Democratic presidential candidates in both 2012 and 2016 became more equality-oriented.

Keywords: Distributional preferences; Social preferences; Fairness; Impartiality; Equality; Efficiency; Rationality; Revealed preference; Redistribution; Political decisions; Voting; Household income; American life panel (ALP); Experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C79 C91 D63 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10683-023-09792-z

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