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Preference for Redistribution: Causes and Consequences of Inequality Perception

Research Project

Project/Area Number 16K17051
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Research Field Politics
Research InstitutionKochi University of Technology (2018)
International University of Japan (2016-2017)

Principal Investigator

Yanai Yuki  高知工科大学, 経済・マネジメント学群, 講師 (50580693)

Project Period (FY) 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
Budget Amount *help
¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Keywords政治学 / 政治経済学 / 再分配 / 政治行動 / 経済格差 / 不平等 / 認識バイアス / 政治態度 / 政治行動論 / 比較政治学 / 所得格差
Outline of Final Research Achievements

I have investigated why the amount of government redistribution does not increase as income inequality rises by looking at voters' behavior in democracies. Analyzing the survey data collected by ISSP, I showed that the level of individually perceived inequality affects the extent of the support for government redistribution. As perceived inequality rises, the support is strengthened.
Furthermore, I found that Japanese people severely underestimate inequality, which decreases the amount of demand for redistribution. I asked who within a country underestimate inequality. By implementing a multilevel regression and post-stratification, I found that certain demographic and political factors affect the probability of underestimation at the individual level.
If the government responds to voters' demands, such underestimation might decrease the amount of redistribution. This could be a reason why we do not observe expansion of redistributive policies in the era of rising inequality.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

民主政は多数者による支配であり、多数者が貧しければ貧者に有利な政策が実施されるはずである。過去30年以上にわたる経済格差の拡大は、相対的に貧しい人を増やしたが、再分配は拡大しなかった。これはなぜだろうか。
本研究は、その原因が有権者の認識にあることを示した。客観的格差と有権者が認識する格差は一致せず、再分配規模の決定にとって重要なのは後者である。再分配の決定メカニズムを理解するためには、有権者の主観を測定する必要があることが明らかにされた。本研究は有権者が自らに有利な政策を望むとは限らないことを示しており、一時的に人気がある政策を実施しても、それが有権者を幸福にするとは限らない。

Report

(4 results)
  • 2018 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2017 Research-status Report
  • 2016 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (6 results)

All 2018 2017

All Journal Article (2 results) (of which Open Access: 2 results,  Acknowledgement Compliant: 2 results) Presentation (4 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 3 results)

  • [Journal Article] Perceived Inequality and Support for Redistribution2017

    • Author(s)
      Yuki Yanai
    • Journal Title

      SSRN Electronic Journal

      Volume: -

    • DOI

      10.2139/ssrn.2937637

    • Related Report
      2016 Research-status Report
    • Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Journal Article] Underestimation of Inequality in Japan2017

    • Author(s)
      Yuki Yanai
    • Journal Title

      SSRN Electronic Journal

      Volume: -

    • DOI

      10.2139/ssrn.2938840

    • Related Report
      2016 Research-status Report
    • Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
  • [Presentation] Underestimation of Inequality in Japan2018

    • Author(s)
      Yuki Yanai
    • Organizer
      European Consortium for Political Research
    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Underestimation of Inequality: Understanding a Cause of Redistributive Preferences in Japan2018

    • Author(s)
      Yuki Yanai
    • Organizer
      Southern Political Science Association
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Perceived Inequality and Support for Redistribution2017

    • Author(s)
      Yuki Yanai
    • Organizer
      Midwest Political Science Association
    • Place of Presentation
      Chicago, IL, USA
    • Year and Date
      2017-04-06
    • Related Report
      2016 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Underestimation of Inequality in Japan: Understanding a Cause of Redistributive Preferences2017

    • Author(s)
      Yuki Yanai
    • Organizer
      日本比較政治学会
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report

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Published: 2016-04-21   Modified: 2020-03-30  

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