Preferences for redistribution : normative rationality and self-interest

This article studies the formation of preferences regarding redistribution. Its aim is to demonstrate how preferences for redistribution are influenced by individual beliefs on the origins of social inequality and public values. The first section shows, through a microeconomic model, how preferences on redistribution can be understood as the outcome of “normative rationality” depended on beliefs concerning individual responsibility in the creation of inequality. This model is then confronted with empirical field data demonstrating the link between individuals‟ normative beliefs and their preferences for redistribution.