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Personal income distribution, Inequality, Redistribution, Segregation, Misperceptions
Abstract:
In this paper I present a model in which an increase in income inequality can lead to a decrease in voters’ demand for redistribution. In my model, people sort into groups according to income and as a result they become biased about the shape of the income distribution. I demonstrate that an increase in inequality can lead to a decrease in perceived inequality in the presence of segregation, and hence to a fall in people’s support for redistribution.