Wealth Inequality and Media Narratives: Exploring Redistribution Policy Debates on Taxation in German-Speaking Countries

Description

Rising wealth inequality is a central societal challenge in the 21st century, undermining both equal opportunities and democratic institutions. And still, public acceptance of wealth-based taxation are still very low, although it could help to curb inequalities. Starting from the awareness that public opinion is shaped by media narratives, this article examines how wealth taxation narratives are constructed and disseminated in the media of German-speaking countries, where wealth inequality is particularly pronounced. Using a mixed-methods approach, we identify ten distinct economic narratives, anti-tax narratives dominating the debate, such as denying the feasibility of taxation, or denouncing pro-tax-arguments as ideological. Pro-tax narratives appear less frequently and emphasize fairness and systemic reform. Our findings reveal significant differences in narrative prevalence across countries and significant changes over time.

Period	18 Oct 2024
Event title	Momentum Kongress: Alternativen
Event type	Conference
Location	AustriaShow on map