Income & Unemployment Risk

Though income level or current unemployment risk correlates strongly with preferences for redistribution, this new research suggests they don’t directly cause shifts in these views.

Stability vs. Changeability

People expect their political attitudes to change as economic conditions shift throughout life — but the evidence shows otherwise.

The Early Roots of Stability

Preferences remain stable over long periods because they are largely established early through family socialization and initial labor market experiences, not reacting directly to adult circumstances.

Testing Theory with Swiss Data

This paper uses longitudinal data from Switzerland to demonstrate strong support for the idea that preferences don’t change significantly even when people face major economic shocks later in life.