Should Governments Tax the Rich and Subsidize the Poor? An Empirical Study of Opinion in the United States

Abstract

The present study reports the findings of a survey conducted by the World Values Survey scientists in the United States on the question of whether governments should tax the rich and subsidize the poor. The sample size of 2166 consisted of individuals from all parts of the United States. A 10-point Likert Scale was used to determine the extent of agreement or disagreement with the question. Various demographic variables were also examined to determine whether differences between groups were significant. Demographic variables included gender, age, marital status, social class, education level, region of the country, religion and ethnicity.