… Opposition to redistribution is partly rooted in the fact that few American voters consider themselves poor or working class, and even fewer understand just how much more money the wealthy have than they themselves do.
Yet even if a majority of voters perfectly understood their relative position in the distribution of incomes, they would probably not cast their votes based on which party promises to redistribute more to them.
Some poor voters oppose Robin Hood policies because they believe capitalism is fair and the rich should be respected, not resented, for their efforts and achievements. Others hold that even though they might be poor in the present, they might be rich in the future, and that people get what they deserve in life and shouldn’t ask for a handout. CONT.
David Samuels (U. of Minnesota), The Monkey Cage