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Inequality is getting worse, but fewer people than ever are aware of it

May 9, 2017

Inequality is getting worse, but fewer people than ever are aware of it

May 9, 2017
Jonathan Mijs in The Conversation

Inequality in America is on the rise. Income gains since the 1980s have been concentrated at the top. The top 10 percent today take home 30 percent of all income, and control over three-quarters of all wealth. We have returned to the level of income inequality that marked the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s.


Who gets what in America continues to be impacted by a person’s race, gender and family resources. What’s striking, however, is how little people seem to notice.


Evidence from the International Social Survey Programme suggests that people increasingly think their society is a meritocracy – that success in school and business simply reflects hard work and talent. This belief is held most dearly by Americans, but citizens across the world are growing more convinced.

About the Author

Jonathan Mijs

Jonathan Mijs

Local Affiliate & Seminar Co-chair

Jonathan J.B. Mijs is assistant professor of sociology at Boston University and a Veni Fellow at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He also co-chairs the Seminar on Social Exclusion and Inclusion at the ...
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