Is Informal Redistribution Costly? Evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment in Senegal
通过估计个人为隐藏收入而愿意支付的金额，测量了非正式再分配的社会成本，发现社会税约为10%，且人们主要想逃避来自大家庭的再分配压力。
Abstract In Sub-Saharan Africa, individuals frequently transfer a substantial share of their resources to members of their social networks. Social pressure to redistribute, however, can induce disincentive effects on resource allocation decisions. This paper measures and characterizes the costs of redistributive pressure by estimating individuals’ willingness to pay (WTP) to hide their income. The study estimates a social tax due to informal redistribution of 10 percent. Moreover, it shows that individuals are willing to escape from the redistributive pressure exerted mainly by extended family members.