Although considerable attention has been paid to individual well-being, community well-being is often overlooked. While there has been recent interest in the definition/measurement of consumer well-being, there has been little study of the contributions of individual well-being (e.g., financial well-being) to community well-being. In this study, we propose that an individual’s level of financial well-being is associated with their support for increased welfare spending and that the endorsement of stereotypes will mediate this relationship. Using survey data from 302 US adults, we find that there is a positive direct association between financial well-being and support for welfare spending and a negative indirect association through endorsement of stereotypes. These findings suggest that an individual's support for welfare spending is dependent on their perceptions of their financial situation. When financial well-being is associated with negative beliefs about a marginalized group, support for policies that might benefit that group declines.

Accepted Oral Presentation