Identification with dominant ethnic groups and attitudes towards government redistribution in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Does identification with dominant but different ethnic groups lead individuals to diverge in their preferences for redistribution? This paper analyzes the role of the relative population size of an individual's ethnic group in shaping her attitude towards government's role in reducing income gaps in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Using a pool of nationally representative survey data, we classify the respondents according to their affiliations with dominant ethnic groups, and then apply probit regression models. Relative to the biggest ethnic group, the second biggest ethnic group is consistently found to have less preference for redistribution, after controlling for other factors. There are no systematic differences in such preferences between the biggest ethnic group and other smaller ethnic groups. Thus, in addition to shared norms and beliefs among ethnic group members, their group's dominance status, which determine their potential influence on domestic polices, also motivate their attitudes towards government redistribution.