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Lower taxes at all costs? : Evidence from a survey experiment in four European countries
Title / Series / Name
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Pages
Authors
Editors
Keywords
Taxation
fiscal policy
public opinion
redistribution
survey experiments
trade-offs
Sociology and Political Science
Public Administration
Political Science and International Relations
fiscal policy
public opinion
redistribution
survey experiments
trade-offs
Sociology and Political Science
Public Administration
Political Science and International Relations
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/27499
Abstract
It is commonly argued that citizens favour lower taxes, thereby exerting pressure for tax reductions that undermine the ability of governments to raise revenues. We argue that the ostensibly strong support for lower taxes is the result of survey measures that fail to account for fiscal trade-offs. An original survey experiment conducted in Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom reveals that support for lower taxes declines significantly when this comes into conflict with other fiscal policy objectives, such as government spending, public debt, or other taxes. Overall, regressive changes receive less support than progressive reforms. At the individual level, preferences are shaped by self-interest and ideology, with ideology exerting a predominant influence. Notably, left-leaning, high-income voters exhibit an even stronger inclination to resist tax reductions compared to their low-income counterparts. Our findings challenge the assumption that tax cuts enjoy widespread popularity and suggest the potential for a progressive coalition against tax cuts, encompassing both low-income and affluent left-wing individuals.
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2025
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1080/13501763.2024.2333856