<p>If I understand your question correctly, single-peaked preferences simply reflect the fact that voters in the lower percentiles of the income distribution will prefer higher levels of redistribution, and voters in the upper percentiles lower levels. However, to establish this the Meltzer-Richard model draws from the work of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0047272777900056" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Robert's</a> (1977), who proved that if everybody has a unique most preferred tax schedule then this implies that individuals with higher incomes have most preferred schedules with lower marginal tax rates (see Lemma 1 in particular).  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-21T14:55:15.387Z
2019-04-21T15:12:56.043Z
2019-04-21T15:12:56.043Z
Ali
<p>How does the <a href="http://www.nviegi.net/teaching/meltzer.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Meltzer-Richard model</a> provide a valid justification for single peaked preferences?</p>

<p>It has something to do with the Envelope Theorem and showing that the middle class' preferences over tax is the median voter's preference over tax.</p>

<social-choice>
Meltzer-Richard Model and Single Peaked Preferences
PhysicsEnthu
# Meltzer-Richard Model and Single Peaked Preferences

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-21)

How does the [Meltzer-Richard model](http://www.nviegi.net/teaching/meltzer.pdf) provide a valid justification for single peaked preferences?

It has something to do with the Envelope Theorem and showing that the middle class' preferences over tax is the median voter's preference over tax.

**Tags:** social-choice


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-04-21. Score: 1

If I understand your question correctly, single-peaked preferences simply reflect the fact that voters in the lower percentiles of the income distribution will prefer higher levels of redistribution, and voters in the upper percentiles lower levels. However, to establish this the Meltzer-Richard model draws from the work of [Robert's](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0047272777900056) (1977), who proved that if everybody has a unique most preferred tax schedule then this implies that individuals with higher incomes have most preferred schedules with lower marginal tax rates (see Lemma 1 in particular).


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