Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Poverty
Related: About this forumThe Surprising Reason that Crushing Economic Inequality Isn't More of Election Issue
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Surprising-Reason-that-by-David-Sirota-Elections-And-Campaigns_Inequality_Polling_Poor-141004-71.htmlThe Surprising Reason that Crushing Economic Inequality Isn't More of Election Issue
By David Sirota
OpEdNews Op Eds 10/4/2014 at 22:22:48
If critics of income inequality are wondering why the growing gap between rich and poor hasn't been a more potent political issue in the upcoming elections, a new study offers some answers: Americans grossly underestimate this inequality. That's one of the key findings of a survey showing the gap between CEO and average worker pay in America is more than 10 times larger than the typical American perceives.
In the report, Harvard University and Chulalongkorn University researchers analyzed survey data from 40 countries about perceptions of pay gaps between rich and poor. In every country, respondents underestimated the size of the gap between CEO and average worker pay. In the United States, for example, the researchers found the median American respondent estimated that the ratio of CEO to worker income is about 30-to-1. In reality, the gap is more than 350-to-1.
~snip~
Recent news events, however, suggest that economic inequality does, indeed, have very tangible consequences.
Strife between police and protestors in Ferguson, Missouri, for example, has spotlighted economic inequality's potential connection to criminal justice. Similarly, Standard & Poor's has released reports showing the widening gap between rich and poor threatens America's overall economic growth and is exacerbating state budget crises. And a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that America's higher rate of infant mortality than Europe "is driven almost exclusively by excess inequality in the United States."
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
1 replies, 1743 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (4)
ReplyReply to this post
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Surprising Reason that Crushing Economic Inequality Isn't More of Election Issue (Original Post)
unhappycamper
Oct 2014
OP
merrily
(45,251 posts)1. Pro-establishment media plays a huge role in the misperception. Politicians do the rest.
All the talk about the "middle class" leaves everyone assuming no one is poor. No one worth mentioning, anyway.
BTW, all you who think Occupy achieved nothing: who was even discussing the 99% or income inequality before Occupy? It was all entitlements have to be cut, Cat Food Commission and Grand Bargain Uber Congress Committee then.
If you think it's easy to change the national discourse with small groups of people per city and almost zero dollars, then talk to some ad agencies.