left–right self-placement. A positive sign indicates that the two scales
increase together, a negative sign that they progress in opposite
directions.
The results of Table2.2 are all statistically significant and in the
expected direction. The more a person is on the right, the more she is
likely to think that we need larger income differences as incentives for
individual effort, that her country should aim to be a competitive
society where wealth is distributed according to one’s achievement,
Table 2.2.Relationships between left–right self-placement and attitudes
about social justice and government intervention, on a world scale,
1999–2001
Should incomes be made more equal (1), or do we need larger
income differences as incentives for individual effort (10)?
0.110***Should your country aim to be an egalitarian society where the
gap between rich and poor is small, regardless of achievement
(1), or a competitive society where wealth is distributed
according to one’s achievement (5)?
0.059***Should your country aim to be a society with extensive social
welfare but high taxes (1), or one where taxes are low and
individuals take responsibility for themselves (5)?
0.100***Do you think that competition is good and stimulates people
to work hard and develop new ideas (1), or that competition
is harmful and brings out the worst in people (10)?
0.065***Do you think the government should take more responsibility
to ensure that everyone is provided for (1), or that people should
take more responsibility to provide for themselves (10)?
0.078***Should the government let anyone come in the country who
wants to (1), or prohibit people coming here from other
countries (4)?
0.039***Homosexuality is never justifiable (1), or always justifiable
(10)?
0.108***Abortion is never justifiable (1), or always justifiable (10)? 0.125***
Note:All these correlations are significant at 0.001 level (***).^15
Source:World Values Survey.
(^15) As recommended by the World Values Survey team, the results were adjusted
with weights correcting for national characteristics.
A worldwide value divide 43