Volunteering and the State

Arbeitspapier

This paper explores the capability of the state to affect the individual’s decision to work for free. For this purpose we combine individual-level data from the European and World Values Survey with macroeconomic and political variables for OECD member countries. Empirically we identify three channels for crowding out of voluntary labor. Firstly, an increase in public social expenditure decreases the probability that the individual will volunteer (fiscal crowding out). Secondly, a political consensus between individuals and the government also induces volunteers to reduce their unsalaried activities (consensual crowding out). And finally, the more a government supports democratization, the lower is the individual’s engagement (participatory crowding out). Religiosity and a more unequal income distribution in a country increase individuals’ willingness to volunteer.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper ; No. 0901

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Public Goods ; Publicly Provided Goods: Mixed Markets ; Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents: Household ; Time Allocation and Labor Supply ; Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs ; Structure, Scope, and Performance of Government ; Distribution: General ; Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
• Subject: Volunteering ; voluntary labor supply ; private provision of public goods ; public social expenditure ; political consensus ; democratization ; Ehrenamtliche Arbeit ; Arbeitsangebot ; Öffentliche Sozialausgaben ; Politische Kultur ; Demokratisierung ; Welt ; OECD-Staaten

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Hackl, Franz ; Halla, Martin ; Pruckner, Gerald J.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Department of Economics
• (where): Linz
• (when): 2009

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/73613
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET