Abstract
The characteristics of populations benefiting from collaboration are mostly regarded as contextual factors in collaborative theory and research. Drawing on policy design and distributive justice theories, this study seeks to understand how public support for collaboration varies depending on the characteristics of the target population that benefits from collective action. The analysis demonstrates that collaborative arrangements aiding populations considered deserving are more likely to gain public approval than those benefiting negatively constructed groups. We also investigate citizens’ attribution of blame for collaboration failure and find that the process appears to be independent of the characteristics of target populations.