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Matthias Diermeier / Madeleine F. Fischer / Judith Niehues in SOEP papers External Publication 20. March 2023 Punching up or Punching down?: How Stereotyping the Rich and the Poor Impacts Redistributive Preferences in Germany

Redistribution and the welfare state have been linked by academic discourse to narratives that portray specific societal groups as ‘deserving’ or ‘undeserving’. The present analysis contributes to this scholarship in a twofold manner.

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External Publication
How Stereotyping the Rich and the Poor Impacts Redistributive Preferences in Germany
Matthias Diermeier / Madeleine F. Fischer / Judith Niehues in SOEP papers External Publication 20. March 2023

Punching up or Punching down?: How Stereotyping the Rich and the Poor Impacts Redistributive Preferences in Germany

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

Redistribution and the welfare state have been linked by academic discourse to narratives that portray specific societal groups as ‘deserving’ or ‘undeserving’. The present analysis contributes to this scholarship in a twofold manner.

First, it provides a holistic view on the beneficiaries and benefactors of welfare and asks how the public perception of the rich and the poor drives redistributive preferences. It is revealed that these beliefs, particularly about the ‘deserving’ poor, are significant determinants of strong redistributive preferences. Despite powerful prevailing prejudices about the rich, support for redistribution in Germany is not motivated by the urge to castigate this group for their affluence. Second, we are interested in the distribution of the different moralistic beliefs about the rich and the poor over socio-demographic characteristics. Regarding stereotypical beliefs about the poor, we quantify the phenomenon of ‘punching down’, performed by those immediately above the lowest income quintile. In fact, members of the second income quintile show levels of disdain similar to their wealthier counterparts on the other end of the income distribution. On the other hand, moralistic beliefs about the ‘deserving poor’ are equally held across different socio-economic levels. Implications and limitations of our findings are also discussed.

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External Publication
How Stereotyping the Rich and the Poor Impacts Redistributive Preferences in Germany

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

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Influence of structural changes on income distribution
Maximilian Stockhausen IW-Report No. 63 26. November 2022

IW Distribution Report 2022: Influence of structural changes on income distribution

Academization, immigration and demographic change are defining issues of our time and influence the distribution of income. This year's report therefore focuses on the question of which long-term structural changes in the net income distribution are associated ...

IW

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Michael Hüther / Judith Niehues External Publication 8. June 2022

Perception and Reality: Inequality and Unemployment in Germany

Data for the time before the corona pandemic reveal a largely positive picture of the economic and social development in Germany. Most individuals perceived their own situation as very positive, but their views on society are rather pessimistic and overly ...

IW

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