Social thinking capital: Individual discount ratewhen contributing to merit and public goods

Abstract

The hypothesis of declining individual discount rates for socially significant investments as compared to the rates for socially neutral ones confirmed based on a mass survey with using hypothetical situations on investing by the individuals the lottery prize to long-term social bonds. It is shown that there exists a special type of asset in the form of additional part of capital advanced to investment projects which arises for socially significant projects from the fact that people are ready to vote for their financing at a lower rate. The conclusions are drawn about the value of the considered type of asset for the case of Russia, the social base through which it can be accumulated and its differences for merit and public goods of various types. The study was conducted on the basis of a Russian national quota sample.