Bastian Becker
Biographic Data
| ID | 3924799 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Bastian Becker |
| GIVEN NAMES | Bastian |
| FAMILY NAME | Becker |
| SIGNATURE | BECKER B |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Bremen |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6668-153X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 31 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 17 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Undeserving heirs
Inherited wealth has often been accumulated under circumstances seen as undeserving by present-day standards. However, there is surprisingly little knowledge about the political consequences of wealth’s history. We argue that illegitimate accumulation nurtures opposition and calls for redistribution, even after multiple generations. To test our theory, we conduct a survey in Germany, where many wealthy business owners inherited companies that mad…
Contested memories
Who wants what, and why? Attitude polarization and political viability of UBI
This study examines attitude polarization as a key determinant of the political viability of policy reforms, using Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a case in point. While public support for UBI is often high in aggregate, little is known about the extent and nature of underlying divisions. Drawing on a stratified online survey (n = 3076) conducted ahead of a local UBI campaign in Germany, we study who supports what type of basic income, and why . …
Taxing your cake and growing it too
Political and economic elites often warn that taxes on the rich impair economic growth. Although such warnings have a long tradition in elite discourse, what the public believes about the effects of progressive taxation remains surprisingly understudied. This omission limits our understanding of a basic democratic mechanism, the congruence of elite and public opinion. To close this gap, we employ a conjoint experiment during the 2021 German natio…
The colonial labour question
Access to education and health care are core development goals of the United Nations since its inception. Today, almost all countries have education and health systems in place. In former colonies, the historical roots of these systems can often be traced back to colonial times. In this article, we argue that spending on social services for the local population was seen as a necessary condition to expand the trade-based colonial economy especiall…
Between God and Nation
Popular support is important to the emergence and survival of democracy. In this paper, we study how church-state relations in former British Africa shaped long-run support for democracy. We argue that shared national identity was the basis for incentive alignment, facilitating cooperation over educational policy between church and state and engendering long-run support for democracy. Employing geospatial analyses of historical mission data and c…
International inequality and demand for redistribution in the Global South
Despite considerable progress, inequality between countries remains at staggering levels. However, we know surprisingly little about demand for international redistribution in the Global South. This is unfortunate as it hinders our understanding of the pressures governments experience to cooperate internationally. Therefore, this paper studies perceptions of international inequality and attitudes toward international aid, an important instrument …
License to educate
Colonial Africa was shaped by a variety of European actors. Of foremost importance in the educational sector were both colonial governments and Christian mission societies. While their activities and long-term implications are often analyzed in isolation, few systematic studies investigate relationships between them. However, it is well-known that underfunded colonial governments supported mission societies, who used schools to attract new conver…
The colonial struggle over polygamy
Christian missions in colonial Africa have contributed significantly to the expansion of formal education and thereby shaped the continent's long-term economic and political development. This paper breaks new ground by showing that this process depended on local demand for education. It is argued that disagreements over norms, and in particular the struggle over polygamy, which resulted from missions' insistence on monogamy in traditionally polyg…
The Empire Within
Christian missions played an essential role for European colonial empires, often entering territories before European powers officially claimed control. While interactions between governmental and religious actors and their long-term consequences have been subject to earlier studies, little is known about the temporal dynamics of colonization. This paper uses new historical data (1792–1924) to provide a detailed quantitative account of the modern…
Caught in the Middle! Wealth Inequality and Conflict over Redistribution
A vast literature documents that wealth inequality has risen throughout advanced democracies, especially the accumulation of wealth among the rich. Yet, instead of increasing wealth redistribution, governments have done the seemingly opposite. Key to understanding why democratic governments do not increase wealth redistribution in times of rising inequalities is to shed light on the public's preferences. In this paper, we map the public's redistr…
Significant others? Social groups, income expectations, and redistributive preferences
Critical Assessment and Outlook
This chapter depicts the main results of this book volume in a synthesized way. It elucidates the role played by external actors in social protection in the Global South, from colonialism to international aid in the light of the findings of this book volume. All chapters are summarized with regard to the types of external actors involved, how they exert their influence over time, what their main objectives and preferences with regard to social pr…
Colonial Legacies in International Aid
Most contemporary nation states were, at one point or another, part of European colonial empires. Today, former colonial powers remain heavily involved in countries they once controlled, exerting influence through a variety of economic, political and social channels. One such channel is international aid. In this chapter I explore how colonial models, especially indirect rule in the case of the British Empire and centralization and assimilation s…
Temporal change in inequality perceptions and effects on political attitudes
Widespread unawareness and indifference arguably contribute to growing inequalities. However, previous studies have paid little attention to the applicability of these arguments over time. This paper demonstrates that perceptions of inequality and their effects on attitudes towards inequality and redistribution can change considerably. Using social survey data from the United States (1987–2009), it is shown that perceptions of income inequality d…
Colonial empires, actor constellations, and their legacies
Colonialism is a multifaceted phenomenon characterized by the establishment of political control, the subjugation of local populations, and economic exploitation. Even though most of today’s nation states have been colonized and subordinated to others at some point, many questions about how colonial legacies influence past and contemporary polities, politics, and policies in former colonies remain unanswered. In this paper, we address colonialism…
Mind the Income Gaps? Experimental Evidence of Information's Lasting Effect on Redistributive Preferences
Mind the Income Gaps? Experimental Evidence of Information's Lasting Effect on Redistributive Preferences
Significant others? Social groups, income expectations, and redistributive preferences
Temporal change in inequality perceptions and effects on political attitudes
Widespread unawareness and indifference arguably contribute to growing inequalities. However, previous studies have paid little attention to the applicability of these arguments over time. This paper demonstrates that perceptions of inequality and their effects on attitudes towards inequality and redistribution can change considerably. Using social survey data from the United States (1987–2009), it is shown that perceptions of income inequality d…
International inequality and demand for redistribution in the Global South
Despite considerable progress, inequality between countries remains at staggering levels. However, we know surprisingly little about demand for international redistribution in the Global South. This is unfortunate as it hinders our understanding of the pressures governments experience to cooperate internationally. Therefore, this paper studies perceptions of international inequality and attitudes toward international aid, an important instrument …
The Empire Within
Christian missions played an essential role for European colonial empires, often entering territories before European powers officially claimed control. While interactions between governmental and religious actors and their long-term consequences have been subject to earlier studies, little is known about the temporal dynamics of colonization. This paper uses new historical data (1792–1924) to provide a detailed quantitative account of the modern…
License to educate
Colonial Africa was shaped by a variety of European actors. Of foremost importance in the educational sector were both colonial governments and Christian mission societies. While their activities and long-term implications are often analyzed in isolation, few systematic studies investigate relationships between them. However, it is well-known that underfunded colonial governments supported mission societies, who used schools to attract new conver…
Caught in the Middle! Wealth Inequality and Conflict over Redistribution
A vast literature documents that wealth inequality has risen throughout advanced democracies, especially the accumulation of wealth among the rich. Yet, instead of increasing wealth redistribution, governments have done the seemingly opposite. Key to understanding why democratic governments do not increase wealth redistribution in times of rising inequalities is to shed light on the public's preferences. In this paper, we map the public's redistr…
Colonial empires, actor constellations, and their legacies
Colonialism is a multifaceted phenomenon characterized by the establishment of political control, the subjugation of local populations, and economic exploitation. Even though most of today’s nation states have been colonized and subordinated to others at some point, many questions about how colonial legacies influence past and contemporary polities, politics, and policies in former colonies remain unanswered. In this paper, we address colonialism…
Critical Assessment and Outlook
This chapter depicts the main results of this book volume in a synthesized way. It elucidates the role played by external actors in social protection in the Global South, from colonialism to international aid in the light of the findings of this book volume. All chapters are summarized with regard to the types of external actors involved, how they exert their influence over time, what their main objectives and preferences with regard to social pr…
Colonial Legacies in International Aid
Most contemporary nation states were, at one point or another, part of European colonial empires. Today, former colonial powers remain heavily involved in countries they once controlled, exerting influence through a variety of economic, political and social channels. One such channel is international aid. In this chapter I explore how colonial models, especially indirect rule in the case of the British Empire and centralization and assimilation s…
Temporal change in inequality perceptions and effects on political attitudes
Widespread unawareness and indifference arguably contribute to growing inequalities. However, previous studies have paid little attention to the applicability of these arguments over time. This paper demonstrates that perceptions of inequality and their effects on attitudes towards inequality and redistribution can change considerably. Using social survey data from the United States (1987–2009), it is shown that perceptions of income inequality d…
Colonial empires, actor constellations, and their legacies
Colonialism is a multifaceted phenomenon characterized by the establishment of political control, the subjugation of local populations, and economic exploitation. Even though most of today’s nation states have been colonized and subordinated to others at some point, many questions about how colonial legacies influence past and contemporary polities, politics, and policies in former colonies remain unanswered. In this paper, we address colonialism…
Mind the Income Gaps? Experimental Evidence of Information's Lasting Effect on Redistributive Preferences
Significant others? Social groups, income expectations, and redistributive preferences
The colonial struggle over polygamy
Christian missions in colonial Africa have contributed significantly to the expansion of formal education and thereby shaped the continent's long-term economic and political development. This paper breaks new ground by showing that this process depended on local demand for education. It is argued that disagreements over norms, and in particular the struggle over polygamy, which resulted from missions' insistence on monogamy in traditionally polyg…
The Empire Within
Christian missions played an essential role for European colonial empires, often entering territories before European powers officially claimed control. While interactions between governmental and religious actors and their long-term consequences have been subject to earlier studies, little is known about the temporal dynamics of colonization. This paper uses new historical data (1792–1924) to provide a detailed quantitative account of the modern…
Caught in the Middle! Wealth Inequality and Conflict over Redistribution
A vast literature documents that wealth inequality has risen throughout advanced democracies, especially the accumulation of wealth among the rich. Yet, instead of increasing wealth redistribution, governments have done the seemingly opposite. Key to understanding why democratic governments do not increase wealth redistribution in times of rising inequalities is to shed light on the public's preferences. In this paper, we map the public's redistr…
License to educate
Colonial Africa was shaped by a variety of European actors. Of foremost importance in the educational sector were both colonial governments and Christian mission societies. While their activities and long-term implications are often analyzed in isolation, few systematic studies investigate relationships between them. However, it is well-known that underfunded colonial governments supported mission societies, who used schools to attract new conver…
The colonial labour question
Access to education and health care are core development goals of the United Nations since its inception. Today, almost all countries have education and health systems in place. In former colonies, the historical roots of these systems can often be traced back to colonial times. In this article, we argue that spending on social services for the local population was seen as a necessary condition to expand the trade-based colonial economy especiall…
Between God and Nation
Popular support is important to the emergence and survival of democracy. In this paper, we study how church-state relations in former British Africa shaped long-run support for democracy. We argue that shared national identity was the basis for incentive alignment, facilitating cooperation over educational policy between church and state and engendering long-run support for democracy. Employing geospatial analyses of historical mission data and c…
International inequality and demand for redistribution in the Global South
Despite considerable progress, inequality between countries remains at staggering levels. However, we know surprisingly little about demand for international redistribution in the Global South. This is unfortunate as it hinders our understanding of the pressures governments experience to cooperate internationally. Therefore, this paper studies perceptions of international inequality and attitudes toward international aid, an important instrument …
Undeserving heirs
Inherited wealth has often been accumulated under circumstances seen as undeserving by present-day standards. However, there is surprisingly little knowledge about the political consequences of wealth’s history. We argue that illegitimate accumulation nurtures opposition and calls for redistribution, even after multiple generations. To test our theory, we conduct a survey in Germany, where many wealthy business owners inherited companies that mad…
Contested memories
Who wants what, and why? Attitude polarization and political viability of UBI
This study examines attitude polarization as a key determinant of the political viability of policy reforms, using Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a case in point. While public support for UBI is often high in aggregate, little is known about the extent and nature of underlying divisions. Drawing on a stratified online survey (n = 3076) conducted ahead of a local UBI campaign in Germany, we study who supports what type of basic income, and why . …
Taxing your cake and growing it too
Political and economic elites often warn that taxes on the rich impair economic growth. Although such warnings have a long tradition in elite discourse, what the public believes about the effects of progressive taxation remains surprisingly understudied. This omission limits our understanding of a basic democratic mechanism, the congruence of elite and public opinion. To close this gap, we employ a conjoint experiment during the 2021 German natio…
Political science (14 works) · Economics (12 works) · Politics (12 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Colonialism (7 works) · Demographic economics (7 works) · Law (7 works) · Economic growth (6 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Culture, Economy, and Development Studies (5 works)