Over the past three decades, the United States has become richer but significantly more unequal. Less clear is exactly what the consequences of this increased inequality will be — for our economy, our democracy, and our society. By confronting these open issues with rigorous research, scholars can help identify and motivate needed policy reforms.
Our first conference in this area, Government & Markets: Understanding the Effects of America’s Economic Stratification, will signal a formal launch of our efforts in early 2010. The conference will focus on the deep political, economic, and social consequences associated with high levels of inequality in the United States. While a robust body of scholarship related to the measurement and causes of inequality will inform scholars’ research and discussions, this effort will concentrate on the potential effects of inequality on:
- the content of our political discourse and the capacity of different individuals to contribute their opinions and be heard by policymakers;
- how public policy is implemented or interpreted, and whether this ameliorates or exacerbates existing inequities;
- economic growth and well-being, as well as volatility on the macro, household, and individual levels; and
- how individuals develop notions of fairness, need, and community, and how these norms in turn legitimate or mitigate inequality.
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