Partisanship and Public Opinion on Cash Transfers: Survey Evidence from Kenya

• In Event: The Changing Landscape of Social Protection in Africa

Abstract

How does public opinion on the causes of poverty and deservingness condition support for government support for the poor? This paper answers this question with a focus on direct cash transfers. I find minimal partisan differences in perceptions of the causes of poverty and deservingness, but significant differences in opinions on how to finance cash transfers. Supporters of the incumbent president are more likely to support increasing consumption taxes to finance these programs compared to opposition supporters. These findings suggest that partisan differences about social spending may exist even when there is agreement on the causes of poverty and deservingness.

Author

• Ken Ochieng' Opalo, Georgetown University