Building Bridges: Bipartisan Support for Redistribution in a Globalizing World

• In Event: Emerging Challenges and Political Opportunities in a New Globalization Era

Abstract

How do governments address economic shocks associated with globalization in the current polarized environment? The prevailing scholarly consensus indicates that attempts to broaden national redistribution policies in response to the growing inequalities caused by globalization have been unsuccessful, and the status quo persists. This is primarily because conservatives' reluctance to support such measures leads to persistent gridlock. However, a more nuanced perspective emerges from local-level social investment data, revealing a consistent increase in spending on education-related resources in both Republican and Democratic counties. Our hypothesis suggests that partisan conflicts over redistribution can be overcome in the face of globalization shocks, particularly when conservatives deem their core belief in market fairness is being challenged by outside forces. Our empirical findings, supported by a combination of two U.S. surveys and longitudinal data, affirm the validity of this hypothesis.

Authors

• Stephen Chaudoin, Harvard University

• Nita Rudra, Georgetown University

• Kevin Troy, Harvard University