Changes in demand for redistribution during the crisis in European Union countries

The final question of our study is: has the demand for redistribution changed during the crisis in the countries of the European Union and in Hungary, and if so, how? Was the demand for redistribution influenced by the severity of the crisis in each country, or by whether they managed to recover from the economic downturn, and if so, how quickly? In order to attempt an explanation, we first examine the determinants of demand for redistribution and attitudes toward the extensive benefits provided by the welfare state in an international comparison, and then move on to analyze trends in Hungary. In our study, we first present the data and research questions (Chapter 2). We then present an international comparative analysis based on data from 2009 and 2014 (Chapter 3), assuming that there are country-specific determinants of demand for state redistribution and that there are factors that determine individuals' demand for redistribution in general, regardless of the macro (country-level) characteristics of each country. To identify the latter factors, we perform regression analyses and attempt to estimate respondents' attitudes toward welfare redistribution based on their individual characteristics. Following the international comparative analysis, in Chapter 4 of the study we examine the trends that can be observed in Hungary in terms of demand for redistribution and the extensive provision of welfare state benefits.