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Financial Literacy and Political Orientation in Great Britain

Author

Listed:
  • Alberto Montagnoli
  • Mirko Moro
  • Georgios A. Panos
  • Robert E. Wright

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between financial literacy and political orientation in Great Britain. Using novel data from the British Election Survey in 2014, we employ two distinct measures of political orientation, capturing individual self-assessment on a left-right axis and party preferences. We find that financially-literate individuals are some 11-19 percent more likely to orientate at the centre-left or the centre-right. Moreover, they are some 30 percent less likely not to know their political orientation. The results are robust when rich sets of public-attitude and public-value variables are accounted for. Financially-literate individuals are also more likely to have a stable political orientation over time and they are some 15-23 percent less likely to change attitudes radically towards the left or the right across different waves of the study. We interpret our findings as indicative that greater financial literacy is conducive to greater stability of moderate political views and orientation.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Montagnoli & Mirko Moro & Georgios A. Panos & Robert E. Wright, 2016. "Financial Literacy and Political Orientation in Great Britain," Working Papers 2016_23, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    • Handle: RePEc:gla:glaewp:2016_23
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    1. Alberton Montagnoli & Mirko Moro & Georgios A Panos & Robert E Wright, 2016. "Financial literacy and political orientation in Great Britain," Working Papers 1614, University of Strathclyde Business School, Department of Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Beatrice Magistro, 2020. "Financial literacy and support for free trade in the UK," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 2050-2069, August.
    2. Alberto Montagnoli & Mirko Moro & Georgios A. Panos & Robert E. Wright, 2016. "Financial Literacy and Political Orientation in Great Britain," Working Papers 2016_23, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial literacy; political orientation; attitudes; polarization; Great Britain;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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