Publications (Astronomy)

“Mapping the Outer Edge of the Young Stellar Cluster in the Galactic Center” -- Støstad et al., the Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 808, Article 106, 2015.
“Discovery of Low-Metallicity Stars in the Central Parsec of the Milky Way” -- Do et al., the Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 809, Article 143, 2015.

Self-Preserving Redistribution: Global Experimental Evidence
Morten Nyborg Støstad
(Working paper on request)

Abstract: This paper introduces a theory of popular support for inequality reduction, offering a framework for understanding how stable, low-inequality societies can emerge and endure. In a controlled experiment across 40 countries and almost 90,000 respondents I isolate altruistic and self-preserving transfers. A significant number of non-altruistic individuals engage in self-preserving transfers to protect themselves from inequality's negative effects. Altruistic redistribution is prevalent across the world but not associated to societal markers for redistribution. Self-preserving redistribution, on the other hand, is a strong predictor of societal redistribution, and is particularly common in the Nordic countries. The findings suggest that differing beliefs about inequality's negative consequences, rather than normative fairness ideals, may explain cross-country variation in redistributive systems. 

The Threat of Unfair Equality: An Experiment Across 40 Countries
Alexander Cappelen, Morten Nyborg Støstad, Bertil Tungodden
(Working paper on request)

Abstract: What are the distinct effects of unfairness and inequality? We conduct a large-scale experiment across 40 countries with almost 45,000 participants to examine this question. Using exogenous variation in payoffs and effort, we create four experimental conditions: fair equality, fair inequality, unfair equality, and unfair inequality. Across treatments, we measure participants’ willingness to impose negative externalities on others to maximize their own payoffs, as well as their beliefs about others' actions in similar situations. The results suggest that both unfairness and inequality independently increase the presence of negative externalities, with the strongest effect appearing under conditions of unfair equality — a result consistent across countries. Participants’ beliefs reflect an accurate understanding of how unfairness and inequality impact others within their country, though effect sizes are underestimated. Finally, we show that elicited beliefs in the experiment predict people’s beliefs about how unfairness and inequality generate negative externalities in society. This study provides global evidence on the distinct roles of unfairness and inequality in causing negative societal consequences and assesses the accuracy of people's beliefs about these effects.

Fairness Beliefs Affect Perceived Economic Inequality
Morten Nyborg Støstad
Working paper here, Slides (UC Berkeley Public Finance Seminar)

Abstract: This paper establishes a causal link from fairness beliefs to perceived economic inequality. I conduct an experiment where participants are asked to estimate the level of income inequality in a hypothetical society. Respondents are informed of the true income distribution, which is simple and identical across treatments. Sources of incomes vary to indicate “fair” or “unfair” inequality, which affects incentivized top 10% income share estimates as much as the difference between Denmark and the United States. Other inequality metrics are similarly affected. The findings imply that ideological beliefs fundamentally alter how people perceive economic inequality.

Other work in progress

Majority in 40 Countries Support Unprecedented Coordinated Billionaire Tax Discussed by G20 (with Cappelen & Tungodden)

Global Inequality Externality Beliefs (with Izumi & Støeng)

A Theory of Fixed and Growing Pies (solo-authored)

Email: morten.stostad (at) nhh.no

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