The dynamics of public opinion towards inequality in Malaysia

Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy

Volumn 21, Issue 4, 2016, Pages 578-598

  Koh, Sharon G M ^a   Lee, Grace H Y ^a   Bomhoff, Eduard J ^a  

^a MONASH UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA   (Malaysia)

Author keywords

beliefs; income inequality; preferences; redistribution; The new economic policy; World Values Survey

Indexed keywords

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS; ECONOMIC POLICY; EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT; INCOME DISTRIBUTION;

MALAYSIA;

EID: 84961210008     PISSN: 13547860     EISSN: 14699648     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/13547860.2016.1154201     Document Type: Article

References (87)

1. D.Acemoglu, and J.A.Robinson. 2006. “Economic Backwardness in Political Perspective.” American Political Science Review 100 (01):115–131. doi:10.1017/S0003055406062046.
2. A.Alesina, and G.Angeletos. 2005. “Fairness and Redistribution.” The American Economic Review 95(4):960–980. doi:10.1126/science.151.3712.867-a.
3. A.Alesina, A.Devleeschauwer, W.Easterly, S.Kurlat, and R.Wacziarg. 2003. “Fractionalization.” Journal of Economic Growth 8(2):155–194. doi:10.1023/A:1024471506938.
4. R.Andersen, and T.Fetner. 2008. “Economic Inequality and Intolerance:Attitudes toward Homosexuality in 35 Democracies.” American Journal of Political Science 52(4):942–958. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2008.00352.x.
5. A.B.Atkinson, and A.Brandolini. 2001. “Promise and Pitfalls in the Use of “Secondary” Data-Sets:Income Inequality in OECD Countries as a Case Study.” Journal of Economic Literature 39 (3):771–799. doi:10.1257/jel.39.3.771.
6. A.B.Atkinson, and F.Bourguignon. 2000. “Introduction:Income Distribution & Economics.” In Handbook of Income Distribution, Vol. 1, edited by A.B.Atkinson and F.Bourguignon. Amsterdam, NH:Elsevier.
7. L.M.Bartels, 2008. “The Study of Electoral Behavior.” The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior, edited by J.E.Leighley. Oxford, NY:Oxford University Press.
8. T.Beck, G.Clarke, A.Groff, P.Keefer, and P.Walsh. 2001. “New Tools in Comparative Political Economy:The Database of Political Institutions.” The World Bank Economic Review 15 (1):165–176. doi:10.2307/3990075.
9. R.Bénabou, and E.Ok. 2000. “Social Mobility and the Demand for Redistribution:The POUM Hypothesis.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 116:447–487.
10. D.Benjamin, L.Brandt, and J.Giles. 2011. “Did Higher Inequality Impede Growth in Rural China.” The Economic Journal 121 (557):1281–1309. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0297.2011.02452.x.
11. C.Bjørnskov, 2004. Inequality, Tolerance, and Growth (Working Papers 04–8) Department of Economics, Aarhus School of Business, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
12. C.Bjørnskov, 2008. “The Growth–Inequality Association:Government Ideology Matters.” Journal of Development Economics 87 (2):300–308. doi:10.1016/j.jdeveco.2007.04.002.
13. E.J.Bomhoff, and G.H.Y.Lee. 2012. “Tolerance and Economic Growth Revisited:A Note.” Public Choice 153 (3–4):487–494. doi:10.1007/s11127-012-0022-1.
14. J.Books, and C.Prysby. 1999. “Contextual Effects on Retrospective Economic Evaluations:The Impact of the State and Local Economy.” Political Behavior 21 (1):1–16.
15. G.J.Borjas, S.G.Bronars, and S.J.Trejo. 1992. “Self-Selection and Internal Migration in the United States.” Journal of Urban Economics 32 (2):159–185. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0094-1190(92)90003-4.
16. A.E.Clark, and A.J.Oswald. 1994. “Unhappiness and Unemployment.” Economic Journal 104 (424):648–659.
17. L.Demery, and D.Demery. 1991. “Poverty and Macroeconomic Policy in Malaysia, 1979–1987.” World Development 19 (11):1615–1632. doi:dx.doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(91)90009-7.
18. Department of Statistics Malaysia. 2010. Population Distribution and Basic Demographic Characteristics. http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf.
19. Department of Statistics Malaysia. 2013. The Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey (HIS/BA) 2012. http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_household/files/household/2012/Laporan_PPIR_KA_2012.pdf.
20. M.L.Dion, and V.Birchfield. 2010. “Economic Development, Income Inequality, and Preferences for Redistribution.” International Studies Quarterly 54 (2):315–334.
21. J.M.Dowling, and C.F.Yap. 2012. Happiness and Poverty in Developing Countries:A Global Perspective. New York, NY:Palgrave Macmillan.
22. R.A.Easterlin, 1974. “Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence.” In P.A.David and M.W.Reder. (Eds.), Nations and Households in Economic Growth:Essays in Honor of Moses Abramovitz. New York, NY:Academic Press.
23. S.S.Faruqi, 2008, October 29. “Understanding the Social Contract.” Malaysia Today. http://www.malaysia-today.net/understanding-the-social-contract/.
24. R.G.Fryer, Jr., and G.C.Loury. 2005. Affirmative Action and Its Mythology (Working paper No. 11464). National Bureau of Economic Research. http://www.nber.org/papers/w11464.
25. S.P.Gabriel, 2005. “Nation and Contestation in Malaysia:Diaspora and Myths of Belonging in the Narratives of K. S. Maniam.” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 36 (2):235–248. doi:10.1017/S0022463405000159.
26. O.Galor, 2011. Inequality, Human Capital Formation and the Process of Development. http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Economics/Papers/2011/2011-7_paper.pdf.
27. O.Galor, and J.Zeira. 1993. “Income Distribution and Macroeconomics.” The Review of Economic Studies 60 (1):35–52. doi:0034-6527/93/0020035$02.00.
28. E.T.Gomez, and K.S.Jomo. 1999. Malaysia's Political Economy:Politics, Patronage and Profits. Singapore:Cambridge University Press.
29. E.T.Gomez, J.Saravanamuttu, and M.Mohamad. 2013. “Malaysia's New Economic Policy:Resolving Horizontal Inequalities, Creating Inequalities?” In The New Economic Policy in Malaysia:Affirmative Action, Ethnic Inequalities and Social Justice, edited by E.T.Gomez and Saravanamuttu, 1–28. Singapore:NUS Press.
30. I.Grosfeld, and C.Senik. 2010. “The Emerging Aversion to Inequality.” Economics of Transition 18 (1):1–26. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0351.2009.00376.x.
31. A.Hans-Jürgen, and T.Thorsten Heien. 1999. “Explaining Public Attitudes towards the German Welfare State Using Structural Equation Models.” paper presented during Conference on Recent Trends and Methods of Social Stratification Research, Potsdam, Germany, April 30-May 2, 1999.
32. S.M.Hashim, 1998. Income Inequality and Poverty in Malaysia. Maryland, MD:Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
33. P.K.Heng, 1997. “The New Economic Policy and the Chinese Community in Peninsular Malaysia.” The Developing Economies 35 (3):262–292. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1049.1997.tb00848.x.
34. D.Herzer, and S.Vollmer. 2012. “Inequality and Growth:Evidence From Panel co-integration.” The Journal of Economic Inequality 10 (4):489–503.doi:10.1007/s10888-011-9171-6.
35. A.O.Hirschman, and M.Rothschild. 1973. “The Changing Tolerance for Income Inequality In The Course of Economic Development.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 87 (4):544–566. doi:10.2307/1882024.
36. J.L.Hochschild, 1986. What's Fair? American Beliefs About Distributive Justice. Cambridge, MA:Harvard University Press.
37. J.L.Hochschild, 1996. Facing Up to the American Dream:Race, Class, and the Soul of the Nation:Race, Class, and the Soul of the Nation. Princeton, NJ:Princeton University Press.
38. Y.Ikemoto, 1985. “Income Distribution in Malaysia:1957–80.” The Developing Economies 23 (4):347–367. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1049.1985.tb00065.x.
39. K.S.Jomo, and C.H.Wee. 2014. Malaysia@50:Economic Development, Distribution, Disparities. Singapore:World Scientific.
40. K.S.Jomo, and S.Ishak. 1986. Development Policies and Income Inequality in Peninsular Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur:Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Malaya.
41. K.S.Jomo, 2004. The New Economic Policy and Interethnic Relations in Malaysia (Programme paper no. 7). United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/search/A20E9AD6E5BA919780256B6D0057896B?OpenDocument.
42. N.J.Kelly, and P.K.Enns. 2010. “Inequality and the Dynamics of Public Opinion:The Self-Reinforcing Link between Economic Inequality and Mass Preferences.” American Journal of Political Science 54 (4):855–870. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2010.00472.x.
43. V.O.Key, Jr. 1949. Southern Politics in State and Nation. New York, NY:London:Century Books.
44. S.Kuznets, 1955. “Economic Growth and Income Inequality.” The American Economic Review 45 (1):1–28.
45. M.Lamont, 2000. The Dignity of Working Men. New York, NY:Russell Sage Foundation.
46. R.E.Lane, 1959. “The Fear of Equality.” American Political Science Review 53 (1):35–51.
47. S.Lansley, ed. 1994. After the Gold Rush:The Trouble with Affluence. London:Century Books.
48. M.H.Lim, 1985. “Affirmative Action, Ethnicity and Integration:The Case of Malaysia.” Ethnic & Racial Studies 8 (2):250–276.
49. R.Mahadevan, 2007. Sustainable Growth and Economic Development:A Case Study of Malaysia. Northampton, MA:Edward Elgar.
50. Malaysia 1971. Second Malaysia Plan, 1971-1975, Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia http://www.pmo.gov.my/dokumenattached/RMK/RMK2.pdf.
51. Malaysia 1976. Third Malaysia Plan, 1976-1980, Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia http://www.pmo.gov.my/dokumenattached/RMK/RMK3.pdf.
52. Malaysia not welfare state but provides social safety net for welfare protection. 2012, February 6. Bernama. http://www.1malaysia.com.my/news_archive/malaysia-not-welfare-state-but-provides-social-safety-net-for-welfare-protection-najib/.
53. M.Medgyesi, 2013. Increasing Income Inequality and Attitudes to Inequality:A Cohort Perspective. AIAS, Gini Discussion Paper 94. http://www.gini-research.org/system/uploads/598/original/94.pdf?1393500304.
54. A.H.Meltzer, and S.F.Richard. 1981. “A Rational Theory of the Size of Government.” The Journal of Political Economy 89 (5):914–927. doi:10.2307/1830813.
55. B.Milanovic, 2005. “Half a World:Regional Inequality in Five Great Federations.” Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy 10 (4):408–445. doi:10.1080/13547860500291562.
56. B.Milanovic, 2013. “Global Income Inequality in Numbers:In History and Now.” Global Policy 4 (2):198–208. doi:10.1111/1758-5899.12032.
57. R.S.Milne, 1986. “Malaysia-Beyond the New Economic Policy.” Asian Survey 26 (12):1364–1382. doi:10.2307/2644552.
58. Ministry of Finance Malaysia. 2013. Economic Report 2013/2014:Federal Government Operating Expenditure by Sector. http://www.treasury.gov.my/pdf/ekonomi/le/1314/jp6_5.pdf
59. M.Mohamad, 1970. The Malay Dilemma. Singapore:D. Moore for Asia Pacific Press.
60. J.J.Mondak, D.C.Mutz, and R.Huckfeldt. 1996. “Persuasion in Context:The Multilevel Structure of Economic Evaluations.” Political Persuasion and Attitude Change 41 (1):249–266.
61. M.Murthi, and E.R.Tiongson. 2008. Attitudes to Equality:The Socialist Legacy Revisited. Policy Research Working Paper 4529. Washington, DC:The World Bank.
62. K.M.Neckerman, and F.Torche. 2007. “Inequality:Causes and Consequences. Annual Review of Sociology 33:335–357. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.33.040406.131755.
63. N.M.Noor, 2009. “The Future of Malay–Chinese Relations in Malaysia.” In Peace Psychology in Asia, edited by C.J.Montiel and N.M.Noor, 161–172. Dordrecht:Springer.
64. F.Ohtake, 2008. “Inequality in Japan.” Asian Economic Policy Review 3 (1):87–109. doi:10.1111/j.1748-3131.2008.00093.x.
65. K.B.Ooi, 2006. “Bangsa Malaysia:Vision or Spin?” In Malaysia:Recent Trends and Challenges, edited by S.H.Saw and K.Kesavapany, 46–72. Singapore:ISEAS.
66. M.Orton, and K.Rowlingson. 2007. Public Attitudes to Economic Inequality, Vol. 4. York:Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
67. H.M.Z.Ragayah, 2008. “Income Inequality in Malaysia.” Asian Economic Policy Review 3 (1):114–132. doi:10.1111/j.1748-3131.2008.00096.x.
68. K.A.Rasinski, 1987. “What's Fair Is Fair-Or Is It? Value Differences Underlying Public Views About Social Justice.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 53 (1):201–211. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3612490.
69. C.Reenock, M.Bernhard, and D.Sobek. 2007. “Regressive Socioeconomic Distribution and Democratic Survival.” International Studies Quarterly 51 (3):677–699.
70. A.Reeves, and J.G.Gimpel. 2012. “Ecologies of Unease:Geographic Context and National Economic Evaluations.” Political Behavior 34 (3):507–534.
71. B.K.Ritchie, 2005. “Coalitional Politics, Economic Reform, and Technological Upgrading in Malaysia.” World Development 33 (5):745–761. doi:dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2005.01.006.
72. A.Rodríguez-Pose, 2012. “Trade and Regional Inequality.” Economic Geography 88 (2):109–136. doi:10.1111/j.1944-8287.2012.01147.x.
73. T.Romer, 1975. “Individual Welfare, Majority Voting, and the Properties of a Linear Income Tax.” Journal of Public Economics 4 (2):163–185. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0047-2727(75)90016-X.
74. nd report, edited by A.Park, J.Curtice, K.Thomson, C.Bromley, M.Phillips, andM.Johnson. London:Sage.
75. I.Shari, 2000. “Economic Growth and Income Inequality in Malaysia, 1971–95.” Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy 5 (1–2):112–124. doi:10.1080/13547860008540786.
76. A.Sharma, and A.Sood. 2011. Asia 2050:Realizing the Asian Century. New Delhi, India:Sage.
77. D.R.Snodgrass, 1980. Inequality and Economic Development in Malaysia:A Study Sponsored by the Harvard Institute for International Development. Kuala Lumpur:Oxford University Press.
78. T.Sowell, 2004. Affirmative Action Around The World:An Empirical Study. New Haven, CT:Yale University Press.
79. J.Tan, 2008. Privatization in Malaysia:Regulation, Rent-Seeking and Policy Failure. London:Routledge.
80. J.P.Wanous, A.E.Reichers, and M.J.Hudy. 1997. “Overall Job Satisfaction:How Good Are Single-Item Measures?” Journal of Applied Psychology 82 (2):247–252.
81. D.Weakliem, R.Andersen, and A.Heath. 2005. “By Popular Demand:The Effect of Public Opinion on Income Inequality.” Comparative Sociology 4 (3):261–284. doi:10.1163/156913305775010124.
82. F.Welch, 1999. “In Defense of Inequality.” American Economic Review 89 (2):1–17. doi:10.1257/aer.89.2.1.
83. H.White, 1980. “A Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimator and a Direct Test for Heteroskedasticity.” Econometrica 48 (4):817–838. doi:10.2307/1912934.
84. T.K.Y.Wong, P.S.Wan, and K.W.K.Law. 2009. “Public Perceptions of Income Inequality in Hong Kong:Trends, Causes and Implications.” Journal of Contemporary China 18 (61):657–673. doi:10.1080/10670560903033950.
85. World Bank. 2011. Malaysia Economic Monitor:Brain Drain. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/05/02/000356161_20110502023920/Rendered/PDF/614830WP0malay10Box358348B01PUBLIC1.pdf.
86. W.Zhao, 2012. “Economic Inequality, Status Perceptions, and Subjective Well-Being in China's Transitional Economy.” Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 30:433–450. doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2012.07.001.
87. L.Zhou, B.Biswas, T.Bowles, and P.J.Saunders. 2011. “Impact of Globalization on Income Distribution Inequality in 60 Countries.” Global Economy Journal 11 (1):1–16.