Perceived Economic Inequality Measures and Their Association With Objective Inequality and Redistributive Preferences

Abstract

Abstract. Perceptions of economic inequality (PEI) play a central role in people’s responses to inequality. We aim to examine the consistency between different PEI measures (income gaps, diagrammatic figures, experienced downward and upward disparities), their relationship with objective inequality, and their association with redistributive preferences. Using data from the International Social Survey Programme 2019 ( N = 34,387, 22 countries), we performed multilevel regression analyses and found that PEI indicators were weakly and positively correlated, suggesting that they represent different dimensions of the same construct. Furthermore, objective inequality was not related to PEI measures. Finally, all PEI measures were positively associated with support for redistribution, except for experienced upward inequality. We discuss the multidimensional nature of PEI and its implications on redistributive preferences.

The impacts of COVID-19 on the relationship between perceived economic inequality and political action among socioeconomic classes

“…While PEIS is positively associated with behavior in the middle and upper classes, the wage gap is negatively associated with the same behavior in the upper class. Tracing results from previous studies (e.g., García-Castro et al, 2022;Silagadze et al, 2022), these findings suggest how the dimensions of perceived inequality considered play a differential role on political action. In our case, wealthier individuals who perceive a larger gap between the wages of two occupations may not be spurred to take political action, possibly because of their economically priviledged situation.…”

Upholding the Social Hierarchy

“…In addition, while our study delved into the ideal level of economic inequality to deepen our understanding of attitudes toward economic disparities, recent scholarship underscores the importance of exploring intolerance toward inequality (García-Castro et al, 2022) and preferences for redistribution of economic resources (García-Castro et al, 2023). Notably, correlational findings suggest that the perceived ideal economic gap influences support for redistribution efforts (García-Sánchez et al, 2018).…”