Underestimation of Inequality in Japan
This paper asks who within a polity underestimates inequality and what consequences does this underestimation have for politics. Previous studies show that people misperceive overall inequality or where their own income is in the income distribution. In Japan, there are more people who underestimate inequality than people who overestimate it. Why do Japanese underestimate inequality rather than overestimate it? I argue that people living in a relatively equal area are more likely to underestimate inequality than those living in a relatively unequal area. Furthermore, I show that underestimation changes electoral outcomes, demonstrating this by analyzing Japanese data. To reveal demographic and geographical differences in underestimation, I implement multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) with individual level data collected by Japanese Electoral Study III and aggregate data at the prefectural level. The statistical analysis reveals three things. First, certain demographic and political factors systematically affect the probability of underestimation at the individual level. Second, the degree of underestimation varies across prefectures in Japan. Third, underestimation of inequality affects electoral outcomes
Year of publication: |
2017
|
---|---|
Authors: | Yanai, Yuki |
Publisher: |
[2017]: [S.l.] : SSRN |
Subject: | Japan | Einkommensverteilung | Income distribution | Gini-Koeffizient | Gini coefficient |
Saved in:
freely available
Extent: | 1 Online-Ressource (46 p) |
---|---|
Type of publication: | Book / Working Paper |
Language: | English |
Notes: | Nach Informationen von SSRN wurde die ursprüngliche Fassung des Dokuments March 22, 2017 erstellt |
Other identifiers: | 10.2139/ssrn.2938840 [DOI] |
Source: | ECONIS - Online Catalogue of the ZBW |
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10012960500
Saved in favorites
Similar items by subject
-
Increases in income inequality and non-regular employment : a simple general equilibrium model
Minamimura, Keiya, (2015)
-
Asada, Yukiko, (2002)
-
Income inequality and the suicide rate in Japan : evidence from cointegration and LA-VAR
Inagaki, Kazuyuki, (2010)
- More ...
Similar items by person