What are the Causes of Economic Inequality in the U.S.

What are the Causes of Economic Inequality in the U.S.

Smith, K. B., & Lorene H. Stone. (1989). Rags, Riches, and Bootstraps: Beliefs about the Causes of Wealth and Poverty. The Sociological Quarterly, 30(1), 93–107. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.memex.lehman.cuny.edu:2048/stable/4121454

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This reading examines specific beliefs pertaining to wealth and poverty emanate from metatheories about socioeconomic inequalities. As cognitions, these metatheories filter social percep- tions and generate beliefs about the specific causes of wealth and poverty. Four metatheories coexist in American culture and compete for public support. The four are individualism, culturalism, structuralism/situationalism, and fatalism.

Solt, F.. (2008). Economic Inequality and Democratic Political Engagement. American Journal of Political Science, 52(1), 48–60. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.memex.lehman.cuny.edu:2048/stable/25193796

What effect, if any, does the extent of economic inequality in a country have upon the political engagement of its citizens? This study examines this question using data from multiple cross-national surveys of the advanced industrial democracies.

Williamson, J. G.. (1997). Globalization and Inequality, Past and Present. The World Bank Research Observer, 12(2), 117–135. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.memex.lehman.cuny.edu:2048/stable/3986405

This article compares the globalization trend of the late nineteenth century (1850’s to 1914) to that of the late twentieth century (1950 to today), showing that both periods of economic integration led to increase in trade, emigration and immigration, and in rich countries, wage inequality.