Here a thread for all you quick readers: bsky.app/profile/beck...

Very interesting to think about the implications of our work for Swiss politics, thanks!

Inheritance taxes are famously unpopular. Our findings suggest though that this--if progressively designed, as in the Swiss proposal--is not due to fears about economic harm.

Not when it comes to political feasibility, at least in democracies.

Fully agree, elites have many reasons and incentives to spread such beliefs, these might genuine or instrumental. However, we suspect that even progressive/left-wing actors underestimate the appeal of progressive taxation.

Thanks for reading this far. If you are interested in the full article, you can find it here, open access: cup.org/3JVuvHm

Implications: Elites might not only be wrong about the economics of progressive taxes—but also about their public appeal. Instead of sharing fears, the public might support progressive taxes because they believe it benefits the economy.

So yes, "tax your cake and grow it too!"

Why this matters: It challenges the assumption that public opinion mirrors elite fears of an equality-vs-growth trade-off.

Instead, many citizens buy into a dual benefit logic: progressive taxation => equality + growth.

Strikingly, beliefs in the dual benefit of progressive taxation cross ideological and economic divides.

Conservatives — and those affected by progressive taxes — do not share warnings about the economic danger of taxing the rich.

The big reveal: Most believe taxing the rich not only promotes equality — it also fosters growth. 📈

This "dual benefit" belief is strongest for income and inheritance taxes. People are more skeptical about corporate tax hikes.

We ran a large-scale survey during Germany’s 2021 national election. 🇩🇪🗳️

Respondents compared different tax-reform packages varying income, inheritance, and corporate taxes.