Economic experiments have found that individuals prefer an outcome where no one is made better off to an outcome where the welfare of only some is improved if that improvement in welfare is unequally distributed. Why do you think this is so?
This is related to the principle of Pareto efficiency. A Pareto efficient outcome is one where someone can be made better off without making anybody worse off. When only welfare of only some is improved if that improvement in welfare is unequally distributed, the outcome is not Pareto efficient and those who are worse off would hope for better outcomes. In general people value losses more than gains. For those who are not benefitting, there will be losses as they see people around them gain. The value fo their losses will outweigh the value of the gains of others, and on average people dislike such experiments. They would rather prefer an experiment where no one is made better off as it atleast ensures an equal playing ground rather than risking inequality.
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