Preferences for Redistribution in the Market

A main aim of ours is to problematize the notion, implicit in much existing literature, that citizens’ concerns for economic security and social justice are manifested only in demands for state redistribution. There are good reasons to believe that many citizens think that market institutions and market actors ought to engage in practices that foster greater equality, redistribution, and social responsibility as well. We provide illustrative evidence to this effect below. It is therefore an interesting question as to how citizens view the proper balance and “institutional division of labor” between the state and the market in promoting such ideals and outcomes.