Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Title: Shallow Meritocracy: An Experiment on Fairness Views
Author-Name: Peter Andre
Author-Email: p.andre@uni-bonn.de

Classification-JEL: C91, D63, D91, H23
Keywords: Meritocracy, attitudes toward inequality, redistribution, fairness, responsibility, social preferences, inference, uncertain counterfactual

Abstract: Meritocracies aspire to reward effort and hard work but promise not to judge
individuals by the circumstances they were born into. The choice to work hard is, however,
often shaped by circumstances. This study investigates whether people’s merit
judgments are sensitive to this endogeneity of choice. In a series of incentivized experiments
with a large, representative US sample, study participants judge how much
money two workers deserve for the effort they exerted. In the treatment condition,
unequal circumstances strongly discourage one of the workers from working hard.
Nonetheless, I find that individuals hold the disadvantaged worker fully responsible
for his choice. They do so, even though they understand that choices are strongly influenced
by circumstances. Additional experiments identify the cause of this neglect. In
light of an uncertain counterfactual state – what would have happened on a level playing
field – participants base their merit judgments on the only reliable evidence they
possess - observed effort levels. I confirm these patterns in a structural model of merit
views and a vignette study with real-world scenarios.

Note: 
Length: 79
Creation-Date: 2021-09
Revision-Date: 
File-URL: https://www.crctr224.de/research/discussion-papers/archive/dp318
File-Format: application/pdf
Handle: RePEc:bon:boncrc:CRCTR224_2021_318v1