New polling: what New Zealanders really think ‘fairness’ means
Summary:
When asked, in a new poll, whether life in this country is fair, New Zealanders are split evenly between saying ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybe’
When asked about fairness in the abstract, New Zealanders tend to think about equal opportunities and processes, but are also strongly concerned about our ability to engage with each other as social equals
People are more concerned about fairness in the distribution of opportunities and ‘quality of life’ than fairness in the distribution of income and wealth. But this is unsurprising, given that the latter are a means to the former
And nonetheless, people are, independently, concerned about the disparities in income and wealth
Talking about those disparities turns attention to the situation of the worst-off
Many people’s views are unaffected by information about economic disparities – but of those who do shift, most shift towards becoming more concerned
Most New Zealanders think the government has primary responsibility for making the country fairer, although a substantial minority say that role lies with individuals
Does the ‘fair go’ still exist?
Kiwis are profoundly divided as to whether their country is ‘fair’, according to just-released polling from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER).
The institute has been working with the Treasury and researchers Koi Tū to help officials understand what ‘fairness’ means to New Zealanders, using polling and online discussion. (The results of the latter exercise will be covered in next week’s bulletin.)
One of the most striking findings is that people are almost perfectly split on the basic question of whether the country is fair or not. When asked, “How fair is life in New Zealand for others?”, 30% said “fair”, 34% “unfair”, and 36% said “neither” or simply didn’t know.
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