Anthony S. Chen Fiona C. Chin Northwestern University
Economic inequality in the U.S. has been rising for the past thirty years. Social science research on the topic is developing rapidly, but there remains a paucity of research on what wealthy Americans know and believe about economic inequality. The stratification literature has examined the knowledge and beliefs of ordinary Americans along these lines, but we need to understand more about what the affluent know and think about economic inequality, as well as where their beliefs come from. This study investigates these questions by employing a multi-method approach. Using data from a representative survey of the wealthiest 1% of Chicago-area residents and original in-depth interviews with economically successful Americans from across the country, this study describes and explains the stratification ideologies of wealthy Americans. Specifically, the study aims to determine what the wealthy believe about the stratification order and their own place in it; where those beliefs come from (i.e., why they believe what they believe); what their preferences are for public and private interventions to ameliorate inequality; and what their ideas imply for whether and how the trend toward greater inequality may be addressed.
Broader Impacts
Economic inequality is widely regarded as one of the most important public policy issues of our time. The social science community has only begun to illuminate the complex trends, causes, and consequences of economic inequality. This study will contribute to this ongoing endeavor by documenting and explaining the beliefs about inequality held by wealthy Americans, a highly influential--but surprisingly understudied--segment of the population. This study is an interdisciplinary project at the intersection of Sociology and Political Science. Findings from this study will be disseminated to both academic and non-academic audiences.
