The Two Facets of Social Policy Preferences

The Journal of Politics (2015), Vol. 77, No. 1, pp.146-160

34 Pages Posted: 16 Jul 2012 Last revised: 3 Mar 2015

Date Written: 2014

Abstract

Most political economy models start from the assumption that economic self-interest is a key predictor of support for income redistribution. A growing literature, in contrast, emphasizes the role of “other-oriented” concerns, such as social solidarity or affinity for the poor. These frameworks generate distinct, often conflicting predictions about variation in mass attitudes toward redistribution. We argue that this tension is in part an artifact of conceptualizing demand for redistribution as unidimensional, and propose distinguishing between redistribution conceived as taking from the “rich” and redistribution conceived as giving to the “poor”. These two facets of redistribution prime different individual motives: self-oriented income-maximization on the one hand, and other-oriented social affinity with welfare beneficiaries on the other. We find strong evidence for this framework using British longitudinal survey data and cross-sectional data from four advanced industrial countries. We discuss the implications for studying changes in mass support for redistributive social policies.

Keywords: Demand for redistribution, Redistributive attitudes, Welfare state, Public Opinion, Inequality

Suggested Citation

Cavaille, Charlotte and Trump, Kris-Stella, The Two Facets of Social Policy Preferences (2014). The Journal of Politics (2015), Vol. 77, No. 1, pp.146-160, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2110010 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2110010

Charlotte Cavaille

Harvard University ( email )

1875 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Kris-Stella Trump (Contact Author)

University of Memphis ( email )

Memphis, TN 38152
Memphis, TN usa 38152-3370
United States

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