Near Is My Shirt but Nearer Is My Skin. Ideology or Self-Interest as Determinants of Public Opinion on Fiscal Policy Issues

Hans Pitlik, Gerhard Schwarz, Barbara Bechter and Bernd Brandl
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Bernd Brandl: University of Vienna, Department of Industrial Sociology

No 373, WIFO Working Papers from WIFO

Abstract: Several empirical studies derive that personal positions with respect to policy measures are dominated by ideology instead of narrow self-interest. In the present field study we carried out a telephone survey with 1,003 respondents all over Austria. Instead of measuring selfishness indirectly by using more or less "objective indicators" for self-interest, we requested respondents to assess directly whether they expect to be affected by policy measures. Our results indicate that such a subjectively measured narrow self-interest explains attitudes towards economic policies at least as good as ideological conviction. In some cases ideology appears to determine whether people feel affected by a proposed policy measure.

Pages: 27 pages
Date: 2010-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-pbe and nep-pol
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Journal Article: Near Is My Shirt but Nearer Is My Skin: Ideology or Self‐Interest as Determinants of Public Opinion on Fiscal Policy Issues (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wfo:wpaper:y:2010:i:373

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