assesses the extent to which the variation in the attitudes toward income inequality and assistance to the poor can be attributed to differences in core socio-demographic characteristics such as age, sex, level of education and employment status, but also to a number of beliefs about the institutional environment in the respondents’ country of residence. In particular, we examine:

- _Past social mobility_ , based on the respondent’s reported location on the society’s social ladder today, and four years ago<sup>4</sup> ;

- _Expectations of future social mobility_ , based on the respondent’s reported location on the society’s social ladder today, and expected location on the ladder 4 years into the future;

- _Beliefs about the determinants of need and success in society:_

- Respondents were asked to indicate the most important factor for success in life (effort and hard work, intelligence and skills, political connections, or breaking the law);

- Respondents were asked to indicate the most important determinant of need in society (bad luck, laziness, injustice, inevitable part of modern life);

- _Degree of risk aversion_ , based on a hypothetical scenario.<sup>5</sup>

Finally, to further explore the drivers of redistributive preferences, we also consider preferences for redistribution to specific groups, such as the disabled, families with children, the elderly, the working poor, the unemployed, and war veterans.

For comparative purposes, we present results for the pooled sample as well as three groups of countries: Western Europe, transition economies that have joined the European Union (“new” EU member states), and transition economies that are not part of the European Union.

# **3. Data and summary statistics**

The analysis is based on the 2006 and 2010 rounds of the Life in Transition Survey (LITS). The LiTS provides harmonized data based on a single survey instrument for 30 transition countries. In addition, 5 countries in Western Europe were added in the second round of the survey in 2010 (France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Sweden). The sample was drawn to make the survey

> 4 The question is phrased as follows: “Please imagine a ten-step ladder where on the bottom, the first step, stand the poorest 10% people in our country, and on the highest step, the tenth, stand the richest 10% of people in our country. On which step of the ten is your household today?” This is followed by the question: “Now imagine the same tenstep ladder 4 years ago. On which step was your household at that time?”

> 5 “I will now ask you another hypothetical question. Imagine that you are a farmer. If all goes well, you expect to sell your harvest for [INSERT COUNTRY SPECIFIC AMOUNT] in a few more months. However, there is a risk: If there is a drought the harvest will be lost --this has happened to your neighbors in half of the recent years. You consider installing an irrigation system which would protect your crop in case of a drought, but it costs [INSERT COUNTRY SPECIFIC AMOUNT] and you would need to sell your car to buy it. Which of the following is more likely to be your decision?” _I would take the risk and hope there is no drought_ or _I would sell my car and buy an irrigation system._

4