Redistributive Policy Preferences: The Effects of Family Income and Poverty Attributions

As economic inequality and poverty continue to be a concern in the United States, it is imperative to explore the factors shaping attitudes toward policies designed to reduce both. Self-interest tends to be a consistent driver of redistributive policy preferences; as income increases, support for redistribution typically decreases. However, it is also clear that self-interest is not the only motive for supporting or opposing redistributive policies. Certain beliefs, such as those concerning the causes of poverty, may help explain why individuals do not always act in their own material self-interest. Individuals tend, on average, to be more willing to support policies that help people if they believe that people are deserving of the help. In this paper I ask: Is the relationship between family income and redistributive policy preferences moderated by poverty attributions? I find that the effect of family income on redistributive policy preferences is completely muted among individuals who attribute poverty to external factors. Yet, the effect of family income on these policy preferences is strengthened among those who attribute poverty to internal factors. These findings suggest that support for redistribution increases across income groups as individuals increasingly attribute poverty to systemic factors.