Does information about inequality and discrimination in early child care affect policy preferences?

We investigate public preferences for equity-enhancing policies in access to early child care, using a survey experiment with a representative sample of the German population (n ≈ 4, 800). We observe strong misperceptions about migrant-native inequalities in early child care that vary by respondents...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hermes, Henning
Other Authors: Lergetporer, Philipp ([VerfasserIn]), Mierisch, Fabian ([VerfasserIn]), Schwerdt, Guido ([VerfasserIn])
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: London Centre for Economic Policy Research 2024
Series:Discussion paper series / Centre for Economic Policy Research
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Collection: CEPR Discussion Papers - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
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Summary:We investigate public preferences for equity-enhancing policies in access to early child care, using a survey experiment with a representative sample of the German population (n ≈ 4, 800). We observe strong misperceptions about migrant-native inequalities in early child care that vary by respondents' age and right-wing voting preferences. Randomly providing information about the actual extent of inequalities has a nuanced impact on the support for equity-enhancing policy reforms: it increases support for respondents who initially underestimated these inequalities, and tends to decrease support for those who initially overestimated them. This asymmetric effect leads to a more consensual policy view, substantially decreasing the polarization in policy support between under- and overestimators. Our results suggest that correcting misperceptions can align public policy preferences, potentially leading to less polarized debates about how to address inequalities and discrimination.
Physical Description:61 Seiten Illustrationen