El apoyo a los principios distributivos. Una comparación entre las sociedades socialistas y las sociedades de mercado (1987-1996)

Abstract

This paper examines the extent to which people support meritocratic as compared to egalitarian distribution principles in state-socialist societies before and after the transformation in 1989, compared to people in market societies. A measure is constructed which contrasts meritocratic against egalitarian distribution principles, taking account of the fact that people in different societies can choose both distribution principles at the same time. Hypotheses are tested using data stemming from several studies held in (former) state-socialist and market societies: the International Social Survey Programme, the International Social Justice Project, and the International Survey of Economic Attitudes. Results show that support for meritocratic rather than egalitarian principles was lower, while the tendency to support both principles at the same time was higher in state-socialist societies than in market societies. Socialstructural determinants are important in explaining support for distribution principles, but these effects are lower in state-socialist than in market societies. However, an increase in these effects can be observed after the transformation.