Trust in government and support for redistribution

Joana Silva, Matteo Morgandi () and Victoria Levin

No 7675, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: In many countries safety nets consist predominantly of universal subsidies on food and fuel. A key question for policy makers willing to shift to targeted safety nets is under what conditions middle-class citizens would be supportive of redistributive programs. Results from a behavioral experiment based on a nationally representative sample in Jordan reveal that increasing transparency in benefit delivery makes middle-class citizens (particularly among the youth and low-trust individuals) more willing to forgo their own welfare to benefit the poor. Moreover, increasing transparency enhances the relative support for cash-based safety nets, which have greater impact on poverty compared with in-kind transfers, but may be perceived as more prone to elite capture.

Keywords: Gender and Social Development; Services&Transfers to Poor; Access of Poor to Social Services; Inequality; Disability; Social Protections&Assistance; Economic Assistance; Anthropology; Safety Nets and Transfers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-05-16
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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