This paper asks whether economic self-interest predicts revealed support for redistribution by examining votes on redistributive ballot initiatives rather than survey responses. Drawing on eight ballot initiatives across six American states, the authors report precinct-level evidence that precinct economic standing is systematically related to votes on redistribution and that class differences vary with local partisan composition.
New research reveals how union influence significantly lessens unequal representation in U.S. Congress.
Labor unions remain a crucial institutional safeguard against rising income inequality in the United States, despite declining membership rates across states.
This study investigates how intra-generational class mobility affects long-term political preferences using a panel dataset of British respondents. The analysis reveals that upward economic movement leads to modest increases in economic conservatism, without altering party choice or non-economic attitudes. However, broader ideological and preference patterns remain unchanged by shifts in material circumstances alone.
Punctuated Equilibrium Theory describes policymaking as long stretches of stability interrupted by short, fundamental shifts. The literature has largely converged on kurtosis and L-kurtosis to identify these "punctuated" patterns, but questions remain about whether those statistics are the most useful tools for this task.
College attendance boosts political participation overall, but does attending an affluent campus help close a gap between income groups? A large panel survey (201,011 students) investigates this question. Using controls and tests for selection bias, we find that predominantly affluent campuses do not change the level of increase in political engagement across different income levels; they leave the gap unchanged. We examine multiple mechanisms behind any effects.
This study examines citizens' willingness to fight in war using six waves of the World Values Survey. It finds that military motivation varies significantly by income inequality levels and socioeconomic status.
This study reveals a perplexing relationship between income inequality and public perceptions of its legitimacy. The research demonstrates that higher perceived income differences actually increase the acceptance of such disparities among citizens.
Americans acknowledge the large gap between rich and poor, but are they aware of its growth? This article examines how public perceptions develop regarding rising income inequality. It argues that people rely on basic economic information to form opinions about inequality gaps, yet geographic context — specifically American states — significantly shapes these views.
Progressive taxes often face resistance from affluent citizens. This paper argues that trust in political institutions, rather than mere coercion, is key to gaining their support for higher tax burdens.
New theory suggests that fiscal redistribution influences citizens' borrowing behavior.
This study investigates how local income inequality shapes beliefs about American meritocracy. Using survey data from US regions, it finds that residents' personal economic position affects their understanding of social mobility.
New research questions whether parties represent low-income interests early on.