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Effects of policy characteristics and justifications on acceptance of a gasoline tax increase

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  • Kaplowitz, Stan A.
  • McCright, Aaron M.

Abstract

Many economists argue that increasing the gasoline tax is an effective way to reduce fuel consumption. Yet, public support for such a tax increase has been rather low among US residents. We performed eight survey experiments (total N approximately 3000) to examine how selected policy characteristics and persuasive messages influence support for a gasoline tax increase. Several policy characteristics significantly increased support for a gasoline tax increase. Having the increase phased in over five years modestly increased support. Compared with giving the extra revenue to the US Treasury’s General Fund, both refunding the extra revenue equally to all American families and having this revenue used for energy efficient transportation strongly increased support. Support for a gasoline tax increase was not affected by the nature of the mechanism to achieve revenue neutrality. Most people supported a 20 cent per gallon tax increase to repair roads and bridges. Explaining how the gasoline tax increase would reduce fuel consumption slightly increased support for a gasoline tax increase, but neither being informed of the high gasoline prices in other advanced industrial countries nor the actual pump price of gasoline at the time of the experiment influenced support for a gasoline tax increase.

Suggested Citation

  • Kaplowitz, Stan A. & McCright, Aaron M., 2015. "Effects of policy characteristics and justifications on acceptance of a gasoline tax increase," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 370-381.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:87:y:2015:i:c:p:370-381
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.08.037
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    5. Weiner, Csaba & Muth, Dániel & Lakócai, Csaba, 2023. "A szén-dioxid-kibocsátást terhelő adó társadalmi elfogadottsága és a fizetési hajlandóság alakulása Magyarországon [Public acceptance of and willingness to pay for a tax on carbon-dioxide emissions," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(10), pages 1077-1107.
    6. Lucia Rotaris & Alessandro Gardelli, 2018. "Carbon Tax acceptability: A comparative experimental analysis," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(1), pages 117-132.
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    9. Hilary Nixon & Asha Weinstein Agrawal, 2019. "Would Americans pay more in taxes for better transportation? Answers from seven years of national survey data," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 819-840, June.
    10. Sara Maestre-Andrés & Stefan Drews & Ivan Savin & Jeroen Bergh, 2021. "Carbon tax acceptability with information provision and mixed revenue uses," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    11. Bachler, Sebastian & Flecke, Sarah Lynn & Huber, Jürgen & Kirchler, Michael & Schwaiger, Rene, 2024. "Carbon Pricing, Carbon Dividends and Cooperation: Experimental Evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 37-50.
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