The Role of Socio-Economic Circumstances and Values in Attitudes Toward Redistribution in Mexico.

Contemporary literature on attitudes towards redistribution and welfare-oriented policies predominantly encompasses two main theories: the self-interest and the value perspective, with the former receiving more attention. While there's significant research on support for redistribution, there remains an underrepresentation of studies centring on low to middle-income, and highly unequal countries. Leveraging the 2018 world value data, this paper deploys a series of logistic regression models to evaluate the relative value of these theories in the Mexican context. The results challenge the self-interest perspective, which posits socioeconomic status as the primary driver of attitudes towards redistribution. Even though wealthier segments display reduced support for redistribution, values and ideologies appear to exert a more pronounced influence on these attitudes. Specifically, explanations of poverty and wealth, along with the tension between equality and freedom, appear to be the two primary factors influencing attitudes. Finally, to enhance theoretical rigor to these findings, this study builds on existing literature and introduces a model that delineates the mechanisms through which values and ideologies influence attitudes towards redistribution.