An Equity Theory of Predistribution

An Equity Theory of Predistribution | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article An Equity Theory of Predistribution Gareth Brendan Boswell This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7564026/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Research on attitudes towards inequality suggests the possibility of a causal relationship whereby attitudes to inequality affect inequality levels and where levels of inequality affect attitudes to inequality. This paper extends research on epistemic beliefs and macro-level inequality with an empirical analysis of micro-level “Equity Beliefs” defined as value judgements as to the fairness of market outcomes, within the context of “predistribution” that Jacob Hacker defined as “the way in which the market distributes its rewards in the first place” (2011, p. 35). An Equity Theory of Predistribution is posited and its predictions are investigated that, i. Equity Beliefs emerge from experiences of income inequality, ii. Equity Beliefs exert a predistributive effect on inequality, and iii) Equity Beliefs moderate disposable income inequality. Separate models are specified to test these propositions empirically at the country level, using data from the European Union spanning the period 1984 to 2018. The results support each of the propositions. Additionally, this study finds that Equity Beliefs exacerbate disposable income inequality via its interaction with corporate employment policy. This research highlights the role of micro-level beliefs as an antecedent of resource allocations that shape macro-level inequality, and it informs government and corporate-level actors seeking to reduce inequality within and among countries, that progress on UN SDG no. 10 is contingent upon addressing societal notions of equity. In line with this conclusion, the study advocates for development of “equity targets” for employment income that could potentially be operationalized through their integration into a future ISO Equality Certification framework. Income distribution Epistemic beliefs Behavioural Macroeconomics Inequality Welfare State Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files AnEquityTheoryofPredistributionAppendix.docx AnEquityTheoryofPredistributionNotes.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7564026","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":522741062,"identity":"0f8dad6d-1b2a-4ec1-b0e6-bafccce4050c","order_by":0,"name":"Gareth Brendan 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