Observing Unexpected Patterns in Cross-National Research
Blame Data, Theory, or Both? Attitudes toward Redistributive Taxation in Thirty-Three Countries
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9952099 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Insa Bechert (0000-0002-3455-9748, GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, corresponding author), Jonas Edlund (0000-0003-4285-2618, Umeå University) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 327-347 |
| Publication date | 2015-10-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-7659 • E-ISSN: 1557-9336 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00207659.2015.1098272 |
| OpenAlex | W2289556220 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 30 |
This article examines the relationships between socioeconomic status and attitudes toward redistributive taxation across 33 countries using the complete International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) 2006 data set. We apply a simple rational-choice-inspired homo-economicus hypothesis proposing that those better off in the socioeconomic hierarchy should have less reason to support state-organized economic redistribution compared to those situated at lower levels in the socioeconomic hierarchy. The empirical results demonstrate substantial cross-country variation regarding the correspondence between empirical observations and theoretical expectations. When faced with such tremendous cross-national variation in response patterns, a common strategy among researchers is to question the quality of the data collection procedures for those countries deviating strongly from theoretical expectations. The strategy chosen in this study is, however, different. The main argument is that an observed lack of fit between theory and empirical observations may be rooted in problems related to theory rather than the quality of data collection procedures. Building on previous research, two “cultural distance” hypotheses are formulated, both of which argue that the correspondence between the homo-economicus theory and empirics should indeed vary systematically across countries. The first focuses on the role of the welfare state and the second on the level of economic affluence and associated scientific dominance. Both hypotheses receive considerable empirical support. The relationship between socioeconomic status and support for redistributive taxation is substantially stronger in the wealthy Western welfare states—particularly among those of Northern Europe—than in the poor non-Western countries lacking any institutional design reminiscent of a welfare state
Blame · Economics · Empirical research · Homo economicus · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Public economics · Redistribution (election · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Welfare state · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Psychology · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Social Psychology · Taxation and Compliance Studies
Rich DemocraciesPolitical Economy, Public Policy, and Performance
Survey Methods in Multinational, Multiregional, and Multicultural Contexts
The Study of Welfare State Regimes
Structuring Politics
Restructuring the Welfare State
The Total Survey Error Approach
The Moral Economy of Class
Individual preferences for political redistribution
The 'Southern Model' of Welfare in Social Europe
Refining the Total Survey Error Perspective
A standard international socio-economic index of occupational status
Power Resources and Employer-Centered Approaches in Explanations of Welfare States and Varieties of Capitalism
Exploring the ‘Something for Nothing’ Syndrome
The Consequences of Public Policy for Democratic Citizenship
Trust, Social Dilemmas and Collective Memories
It's My Money
A Public Transformed? Welfare Reform as Policy Feedback
The Paradox of Redistribution and Strategies of Equality
New Politics and Class Politics in the Context of Austerity and Globalization
The democratic class struggle revisited
Distributive mechanisms of the welfare state-a formal analysis and an empirical application
Searching for ideal types
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,56 |
| Citation span | 2017 - 2022 (6) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |