Eigennützige Perspektiven auf Umverteilungsgerechtigkeit

Experimental research on distributive preferences reports that people
prefer compensating low income through redistribution when it is due to
factors one cannot control. However, there are situations where
partners' incomes were previously unequal, while in a new, present
income allocation they receive equal outcomes. Only one paper examines a
similar situation, finding that the person with the unfortunate history
self-servingly believes that he is entitled to compensation for his
past, while the person with the fortunate history believes that the past
is irrelevant to the present. We propose an agenda investigating how
history shapes distributive preferences, and the association between
distributive fairness violations and unethical behavior. We argue that
examining the relationship between history and distributive preferences
sheds light, for example, on whether a fair welfare system should
consider individual contribution history.
First, we ask if asymmetric contribution history to joint earnings leads
to self-serving invocations of history between partners when proposing
divisions.
Second, we address whether partners sharing asymmetric initial income
levels due to a previous allocation hold divergent views about the fair
distribution of new, jointly created proceeds to which they contributed
equally. We study the extent to which preferences for maintaining income
hierarchy and inequality aversion (beyond greed) drive distributive
preferences.
Relatedly, we examine the association between imposing a distributive
scheme on the rich and poor and subsequent unethical behavior. Imposed
distributive schemes would systematically vary how much
post-distribution rank is maintained/reversed and how income inequality
is decreased/increased between them.

redistribution, self-serving beliefs, equity restoration, unethical behavior