How elastic are preferences for redistribution? Evidence from randomized survey experiments

Ilyana Kuziemko, Michael I. Norton, Emmanuel Saez, Stefanie Stantcheva

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

445 Scopus citations

Abstract

We analyze randomized online survey experiments providing interactive, customized information on US income inequality, the link between top income tax rates and economic growth, and the estate tax. The treatment has large effects on views about inequality but only slightly moves tax and transfer policy preferences. An exception is the estate tax-informing respondents of the small share of decedents who pay it doubles support for it. The small effects for all other policies can be partially explained by respondents' low trust in government and a disconnect between concerns about social issues and the public policies meant to address them.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1478-1508
Number of pages31
JournalAmerican Economic Review
Volume105
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2015

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Economics and Econometrics

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