A false divide? Providing information about inequality aligns preferences for redistribution between right- and left-wing voters

Christopher Hoy*, Russell Toth, Nurina Merdikawati

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Are differences in preferences for redistribution between right- and left-wing voters amplified because of misperceptions of inequality? To address this question, we conduct three nationally representative, randomized survey experiments with 7020 Australians, in which respondents are informed about either the level of national inequality and economic mobility, their position in the national income distribution, or given no information. We show that correcting misperceptions of inequality reduces the gap in support for redistribution between right-wing and left-wing voters by between 21 to 37 percent. This is predominantly due to right-wing voters, who held more inaccurate priors, increasing their support for redistribution.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Economic Inequality
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 25 Jan 2024

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A false divide? Providing information about inequality aligns preferences for redistribution between right- and left-wing voters'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this