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Winners and Losers in Transition: Preferences for Redistribution and Nostalgia for Communism in Eastern Europe

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  • Adam Okulicz-Kozaryn

Abstract

type="main"> I study the preferences for redistribution in Eastern Europe. After the collapse of communism c. 1990, preferences for redistribution did not decrease by 2000, and if anything, they increased. One explanation is the so-called “public values effect”: individual beliefs shape preferences for redistribution. East Europeans continue to believe that it is the responsibility of the state to provide for the poor, and hence, they prefer redistribution. Income and expected income also affect preferences for redistribution but to a lesser degree than relative income and income history. The ‘winners’ of the transition, i.e., those who are better off after the collapse of communism, prefer less redistribution.

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  • Adam Okulicz-Kozaryn, 2014. "Winners and Losers in Transition: Preferences for Redistribution and Nostalgia for Communism in Eastern Europe," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3), pages 447-461, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:kyklos:v:67:y:2014:i:3:p:447-461
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    2. Alexander Libman & Olga Popova, 2023. "Children of Communism: Former Party Membership and the Demand for Redistribution," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 61(3), pages 199-237, May.
    3. Aleksandra Praščević, 2017. "Political Economy Of Misusing Income Distribution In The Electoral Process – Biased Pluralism Approach," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 62(214), pages 7-44, June - Se.
    4. Kant, Chander, 2018. "Privatization and growth: natural experiment of European economies in transition," MPRA Paper 96080, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 28 Sep 2019.
    5. Stijn Baert & Olivier Rotsaert & Dieter Verhaest & Eddy Omey, 2016. "Student Employment and Later Labour Market Success: No Evidence for Higher Employment Chances," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(3), pages 401-425, August.

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