Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/319209 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 11841
Publisher: 
CESifo GmbH, Munich
Abstract: 
Using an artefactual field experiment, we elicit revealed preferences for solidarity of different age groups towards the same and other age groups among a large and heterogeneous sample of the Dutch population. Preferences are elicited with a solidarity game and linked to a rich and unique administrative database, enabling us to explore demographic and socio-economic correlates of the elicited preferences. In the solidarity game a winner of a money amount is asked ex-ante how much they are willing to transfer to a loser who receives no money. We find that participants on average have a strong preference for ex-ante solidarity, as they are willing to transfer about 40% of the money they receive. At the same time, there is a mismatch between belief in solidarity and actual solidarity. Participants are overly pessimistic about what others will transfer. Moreover, we observe age-based discrimination because a significant share of participants exhibits stronger solidarity preferences with their own age group than with other age groups. Using questionnaires, we also measure stated solidarity preferences in various domains and observe that revealed solidarity preferences correlate with some self-reported attitudes about general solidarity. We also correlate revealed solidarity preferences with opinions on social security systems and self-reported field behavior involving solidarity and find some relation between them.
Subjects: 
solidarity
age groups
group identity
social security systems
large population sample.
JEL: 
D63
D64
D91
C93
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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