Disincentives from Redistribution

Author(s)
Rupert Sausgruber, Axel Sonntag, Jean-Robert Tyran
Abstract

We experimentally study the disincentive effect of taxing work and redistributing tax revenues when redistribution is imposed vs. democratically chosen in a vote. We find a “dividend of democracy” in the sense that the disincentive effect is substantially smaller when redistribution is chosen in a vote than when it is imposed. Redistribution seems to be more legitimate, and hence less demotivating, when accepted in a vote.

Organisation(s)
Vienna Center for Experimental Economics, Department of Economics, Rectorate
External organisation(s)
Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (WU), University of Copenhagen, Centre for Economic and Policy Research
Journal
European Economic Review
Volume
136
No. of pages
30
ISSN
0014-2921
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2021.103749
Publication date
07-2021
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
502057 Experimental economics, 502010 Public finance, 502027 Political economy
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Economics and Econometrics, Finance
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/2e8404c6-8b31-4933-8cba-2821230c34d2