Harnessing social information to improve public support for pigouvian taxes

Marion Dupoux and Benjamin Ouvrard
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Marion Dupoux: GU - Göteborgs Universitet = University of Gothenburg
Benjamin Ouvrard: GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes, SMART - Structures et Marché Agricoles, Ressources et Territoires - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Rennes Angers - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement

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Abstract: Pigouvian taxes are often unpopular among the general public. We test the effectiveness of pro-tax social information in increasing support for such taxes. In a lab experiment that involves a market game with externalities, we provide subjects with information about other participants' views about the "right thing to do" (voting, or not, for the tax policy). We also elicit personal, normative, and positive beliefs. Our findings demonstrate a causal effect of social information provision on subjects' support for the tax, and that subjects' changes in beliefs is a causal mechanism through which this increased support for the tax is made possible. We therefore highlight the important role of beliefs in voting behaviors and the acceptability of Pigouvian taxes.

Keywords: Voting behavior; Social information; Pigouvian taxes; Externality game; Beliefs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-05-20
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Published in Environmental and Resource Economics, 2026, 89 (6), pp.37. ⟨10.1007/s10640-026-01086-1⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05771921

DOI: 10.1007/s10640-026-01086-1

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