With great pleasure, the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya cordially invites you to the following seminar:
Movin' (Support) On Up: A Survey Experiment on Support for Mobility- Enhancing Policies
by Associate Professor Dr. Jared P. Barton
California State University Channel Islands,
Visiting Fulbright Scholar in the Economics Department at University of Malaya
20 December 2019 (Friday), 10am
Postgraduate Conference Room, 3rd Floor Block H12, FEA, UM
ABSTRACT
The United States, despite high and rising income and wealth inequality and declining economic mobility, shows lower approval for redistributive programs than classic voting models or cross-country evidence suggest. Some opposition is due to voters’ under-(over-)estimation of inequality (mobility), but correcting misperceptions does little to move Americans’ support for redistribution. We use a nationwide survey experiment to measure support for specific policies that political entrepreneurs have tied to economic mobility. We measure the effect of both “mobility information” treatments and arguments for the specific policies on support for all policies. The information treatments do not move respondents’ views, but support for three policies increase significantly following arguments for them. We also allow respondents an opportunity to write their U.S. Senators. Treatments do not affect the rate of letter writing, but do influence the policy discussed and support for it.
Free Admission
All are welcome