Faculty Sponsor: Professor Valerie Nazzaro
Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Abstract: Views on spending for public goods and taxation is thought to vary widely across socioeconomic statuses. It is thought that those in the upper incomes are the most sensitive to taxation, while those in the lowest income groups might benefit the most from public spending in areas such as transportation infrastructure. Given that research shows that toleration for taxation is increased when public goods like transportation infrastructure are delivered effectively (Alfaro et al., 2022), it also shows sufficient public goodwill is a necessary step for funding mass transit through taxation (Poon et al ,2020). Additionally, income inequality is also shown to influence public spending and taxation driven policies (Solano-Garcia, 2022). Using data from the 2021 General Social Survey, the study examines the relationship between income level and taxation tolerance on an individual’s support for public transportation spending. A strong positive relationship was found between rising income levels and support for transportation spending. Additionally, greater tax tolerance shows a relationship with support for transportation spending. For those who believed taxes were “Too High”, those in the upper income levels had a significantly higher likelihood of supporting transportation spending than those in the low income level. The implication of these results could allow policy makers to target their efforts in garnering public support for transportation projects. Further research might be beneficial in examining other factors contributing to an individual’s tax tolerance and further demographic breakdowns within income level.
QAC-Poster-Aleck-Gao