Building Support for Taxation in Developing Countries: Experimental Evidence from Mexico

In spite of the importance of taxation for political and economic development, we know relatively little about the conditions under which citizens might not exact a political cost on leaders for adopting a particular tax. Drawing on insights from the literature on institutional design, this article examines how certain features of taxes – such as allowing for civil society oversight, sunset provisions that make the duration of taxes finite, and earmark mechanisms that direct tax revenue for a specific purpose – affect political support behind them. It also evaluates the role of three important aspects of the fiscal exchange, namely trust in government, perceptions of the public good, and level of income. Based on an original survey experiment focusing on the provision of public safety in Mexico, I find that these design features increase political support for taxation, especially among those with low trust in government, perceptions of high quality of the public good, and low income. These findings have important implications for Mexico, as well as a number of other countries that have both low levels of extraction and increased public spending imperatives

Latinobarometer 1998

The Latinobarometer is an annual survey conducted in Latin American countries. In 1998, 17 countries were surveyed. The survey measures public opinions, attitudes and behaviors on topics covering: Economics and International Trade; Integration and Trade Agreements; Democracy; Politics and Institutions; Civic Culture and Participation; Social Capital; Environment; and Gender and Gender Discriminatio

Latinobarometer 2000

The Latinobarometer is an annual survey conducted in 17 Latin American countries. The survey measures public opinions, attitudes and behaviors on topics covering: Economics and International Trade; Integration and Trade Agreements; Democracy; Politics and Institutions; Civic Culture and Participation; Social Capital; Environment; and Gender and Gender Discriminatio

Latinobarometer 2005

The Latinobarometer is an annual survey conducted in 18 Latin American countries. The survey measures public opinions, attitudes and behaviors on topics covering: Economics and International Trade; Integration and Trade Agreements; Democracy; Politics and Institutions; Civic Culture and Participation; Social Capital; Environment; and Gender and Gender Discriminatio

Latinobarometer 1997

The Latinobarometer is an annual survey conducted in 18 Latin American countries. The survey measures public opinions, attitudes and behaviors on topics covering: Economics and International Trade; Integration and Trade Agreements; Democracy; Politics and Institutions; Civic Culture and Participation; Social Capital; Environment; and Gender and Gender Discriminatio

Latinobarometer 1996

The Latinobarometer is an annual survey conducted in 18 Latin American countries. The survey measures public opinions, attitudes and behaviors on topics covering: Economics and International Trade; Integration and Trade Agreements; Democracy; Politics and Institutions; Civic Culture and Participation; Social Capital; Environment; and Gender and Gender Discriminatio

Latinobarometer 1995

The 1995 Latinobarometer is part of an annual survey conducted in Latin American countries. In 1995, 8 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela) were surveyed. The survey measures public opinions, attitudes and behaviors on topics covering: Economics and International Trade; Integration and Trade Agreements; Democracy; Politics and Institutions; Civic Culture and Participation; Social Capital; Environment; and Gender and Gender Discriminatio

Latinobarometer 2002

The Latinobarometer is an annual survey conducted in 17 Latin American countries. The survey measures public opinions, attitudes and behaviors on topics covering: Economics and International Trade; Integration and Trade Agreements; Democracy; Politics and Institutions; Civic Culture and Participation; Social Capital; Environment; and Gender and Gender Discriminatio