In-group bias in preferences for redistribution: a survey experiment in Italy

Abstract

Using a new survey and experimental data, we investigate how information on inequality and immigration affects preferences for redistribution in Italy. Our analysis addresses both the economic and cultural dimensions of immigration, showing that, in general, preferences for redistribution are inelastic to new information. However, we find that providing information about the native–immigrant composition of poverty reduces exclusionary redistributive preferences. Specifically, when respondents learn that poverty among natives is lower than they had previously believed, they are less likely to prioritize natives and exclude immigrants from receiving welfare benefits. This provides evidence of an economic in-group bias in redistribution preferences. Heterogeneous treatment effects also reveal the presence of a cultural in-group bias among certain sociodemographic groups.