Preferences for Redistribution in the Land of Opportunities

Eliana La Ferrara and Alberto Alesina

Scholarly Articles from Harvard University Department of Economics

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2005
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (753)

Published in Journal of Public Economics

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Related works:
Journal Article: Preferences for redistribution in the land of opportunities (2005)
Working Paper: Preferences for Redistribution in the Land of Opportunities (2002)
Working Paper: Preferences for Redistribution in the Land of Opportunities (2001)
Working Paper: Preferences for Redistribution in the Land of Opportunities (2001)
Working Paper: Preferences for Redistribution in the Land of Opportunities
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hrv:faseco:4552533

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