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Voting on Tax Policy Design

Author

Listed:
  • Lucy F. Ackert
  • Ann B. Gillette

    (Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, and Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Georgia)

  • Jorge Martinez-Vazquez
  • Mark Rider

    (Georgia State University, Atlanta)

Abstract

The authors build on the work of Engelmann and Strobel and of Ackert, Martinez-Vazquez, and Rider to examine the potential role of social preferences in tax policy design. They randomly assign each participant in a session to a group with five members. The payoffs to participants are determined by majority vote of the participants in a given group. The authors randomly assign each participant a pretax income that remains the same throughout the experiment to control for the potential confounding effect of risk-pooling equilibria. On the basis of statistical analysis of the data generated by these experiments, they find support for the hypothesis that the minimax preferences of Rawls or the inequality aversion model of Fehr and Schmidt help explain individual choices over alternative tax structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucy F. Ackert & Ann B. Gillette & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Mark Rider, 2007. "Voting on Tax Policy Design," Public Finance Review, , vol. 35(2), pages 263-284, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:35:y:2007:i:2:p:263-284
    DOI: 10.1177/1091142106293102
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lucy Ackert & Ann Gillette & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Mark Rider, 2011. "Are benevolent dictators altruistic in groups? A within-subject design," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 14(3), pages 307-321, September.
    2. Lucy F. Ackert & Ann B. Gillette & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Mark Rider, 2009. "Risk Tolerance, Self-Interest, and Social Preferences," Experimental Economics Center Working Paper Series 2009-04, Experimental Economics Center, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, revised Feb 2011.

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