The Impact of Diversity on Perceptions of Income Distribution and Preferences for Redistribution
59 Pages Posted: 8 Nov 2016 Last revised: 29 Jun 2022
Date Written: June 18, 2022
Abstract
Does socioeconomic diversity affect people’s perceptions of the income distribution and their preferences for redistribution? I exploit a financial aid reform that drastically raised the share of low-income students at an elite university in Colombia and leverage variation in exposure to low-income peers across cohorts and majors using difference-in-differences. Using original survey data and administrative records, I study how exposure to low-income peers affects high-income students’ social networks, perceptions, and preferences. The policy caused high-income students to interact more with low-income students, giving them more accurate perceptions of the income distribution and boosting their support for progressive redistribution.
Keywords: Redistributive Preferences, Socioeconomic Diversity
JEL Classification: D31, D63, H23, I22, I24, O15
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation