Submission Date

4-28-2025

Document Type

Paper

Department

Business & Economics

Second Department

International Relations

Adviser

Jennifer VanGilder

Second Adviser

Johannes Karreth

Committee Member

Katie Bean

Committee Member

Scott King

Committee Member

Johannes Karreth

Department Chair

Jennifer VanGilder

Department Chair

Ann Karreth

Project Description

Progressive taxation remains a heavily debated topic. Among mixed evidence on the effectiveness of progressive tax systems, there is also mixed evidence on what impacts public support for progressive taxation. It is important to explore this as it can better inform politicians or NGOs how to communicate with audiences to shape support for or opposition to this policy. This thesis approaches this question through the lens of relative deprivation, where one’s sense of economic security is influenced by the status of comparison groups. Using cross-national and cross-temporal survey data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), I use logit regression models with mixed effects to measure relative deprivation based on real income, perceived class status, and intergenerational job mobility. Results indicate that increasing real inequality lessens the likelihood of support for progressive taxation, but the perception of inequality improves the likelihood of support. Mobility had no effect. These results offer insight for policymakers to highlight specific examples of inequality to increase support for progressive taxation.

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