Natural disasters and the two dimensions of redistributive demands: evidence from a major earthquake

Whether natural hazards raise redistributive demands remains poorly understood. I argue that the distinction between taking from the rich and giving to the poor is essential to understand the impact of disasters. I expect natural disasters to not spark demands to “soak the rich” because their unfair advantage is less visible than is the case after other economic shocks. I theorize natural hazards raise demands to redistribute to the poor because these events force close experiences with socio-economic others. Combining variation in exposure to Japan’s 2011 devastating earthquake with representative panel data, results are consistent with my propositions. Even though beliefs in the role of luck increased across the board, demands to redistribute from the rich decreased after the disaster and demands for pro-poor redistribution increased in affected areas. These findings set natural hazards apart from other types of economic shocks such as job loss, financial crises, or mass warfare.