Abstract
This study explores the debate over consumption tax among Japanese voters. According to the existing literature, welfare states with universalist social benefit and regressive taxation achieve the highest level of equality since they can gain support from middle to high-income earners and the Right. However, this argument assumes the fixed welfare state support from low-income earners and the Left. Therefore, we design a survey experiment and ask if the emphasis on characteristics of benefit and/or taxation has any effect on the support for consumption tax and if such effect is conditioned by income and ideology. Results show the emphasis on universal benefit, or regressiveness of tax, makes high-income earners accept higher, but low-income earners pursue lower consumption tax rates. The simultaneous emphasis on both aspects does not strengthen this pattern. Also, we do not observe the conditional effect of ideology. The findings contribute to the deeper understandings of welfare and tax policy formation through the lens of voters.
Translated title of the contribution | Universalist Social Benefit and Regressive Taxation as Determinants of Welfare State Support: Survey Experiment on Consumption Tax Hike in Japan |
---|---|
Original language | Other |
Pages (from-to) | 212-235 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | The Annals of Japanese Political Science Association |
Volume | 2022-I |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2022 |