Economic and cultural determinants of elite attitudes toward redistribution

Abstract

Previous studies have posited that elites are willing to advance the redistribution of income and social goods when the negative effects of inequality, such as crime and conflict, threaten their own interests. Although elites acknowledge these negative effects, their support for redistributive policies remains low throughout the Global South. We address this paradox using a multi-method research design. Drawing on 56 in-depth interviews with Brazilian political and economic elites, we document how, when discussing the negative effects of inequality, interviewees consistently characterized the poor as ignorant, irrational and politically incompetent. We use these findings to theorize about the negative impact of such perceptions of the poor on elite support for redistribution. We then test this relationship using survey data gathered from random samples of political and economic elites in Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay (N = 544). We find the relationship to be robust.

State Segmentation and Democratic Survival in Latin America

“…Originally, distributive conflict theory assumes that economic elites hold perfect information about the distributive consequences of future regimes, and are capable of predicting the course of action of the poor under different political institutions. This expectation contrasts with research showing that elites' understanding of the poor and the threats they pose is culturally bounded and inefficient (Blofield, 2011b;López et al, 2020;Reis & Moore, 2005). It is less demanding to assume that elites' update preferences based on their own experience.…”

Editorial: Group dynamics and redistributive policy preferences in the Global South

“…A study of elites in Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay (López et al, 2022 ) suggests they are strongly opposed to redistribution on average. This speaks directly to socio-economic position (“material self-interest”) as a strong factor in redistributive preferences, as found in studies of the Global North.…”

The Merit of Ascription? Economic Elite Perceptions of Inheritance Taxation

“…Given that the possession of social resources is substantially different from the rest of the population, it is of particular interest how elites justify economic concentration, opportunity hoarding and low redistribution while defending equal opportunity and democracy (Khan, 2011 ; López et al, 2020 ). The analysis of arguments and justifications in speech and in action (Boltanski & Thévenot, 2006 ) helps to understand what collective normative repertoires are used to explain economic disparities, and what political grammars are utilized in a pluralistic and democratic public sphere, among others (Lamont & Thévenot, 2000 ; Sachweh, 2012 ).…”