Is Inequality the Problem?
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Product details:
- Publisher OUP USA
- Date of Publication 1 October 2025
- ISBN 9780197817094
- Binding Hardback
- No. of pages176 pages
- Size 234x156x14 mm
- Weight 426 g
- Language English
- Illustrations 62 b/w figures 650
Categories
Short description:
This book draws from a vast trove of research on the rich democracies to argue that while inequality is normatively a problem and we should therefore work to reduce it, the evidence from wealthier countries does not show that income inequality has contributed much at all to the other social ills it is associated with: declines in living standards, worse health outcomes, reductions in happiness, less opportunity, and diminished democracy. Instead of trying to repair these ills indirectly via a reduction in economic inequality, policy makers are more likely to make progress by pursuing these goals directly. This contrarian yet balanced account of one of the main social problems of our era will reshape our understanding of how rising economic inequality has affected societies in the industrialized world.
MoreLong description:
A data-rich analysis that will reshape our understanding of how rising income inequality has actually affected societies in the industrialized world.
Increasing economic inequality is now one of the most studied subjects in the social sciences. The general view is that while its increase represents a bad social outcome in and of itself, its negative impact extends into numerous other realms of social life: declines in living standards for those in the lower deciles of the income ladder, worse health outcomes, reductions in happiness, and less opportunity for most.
In Is Inequality the Problem?, Lane Kenworthy draws from a vast trove of research on the rich democracies to argue that while inequality is normatively a problem and we should therefore work to reduce it, the evidence from wealthier countries does not show that income inequality has contributed much at all to the other social ills it is associated with, like poor health outcomes. The effects vary from society to society, but typically the key contributors to negative trends like this one are factors other than inequality. Instead of trying to improve living standards, democracy, opportunity, health, and happiness indirectly via reduction in income inequality or wealth inequality, policy makers are more likely to make progress by pursuing these goals directly.
This contrarian yet balanced account of one of the main social problems of our era will reshape our understanding of how rising economic inequality has affected societies in the industrialized world.
This is one of those rare, must-read books. It is a tour-de-force which compels us to rethink which policy formulae promote more equality of opportunity embedded in the socioeconomic order. Analyses of an impressive amount of data lead Kenworthy to conclude that this will depend less on income redistribution, and more on a welfare state that invests in its citizens' human capital and life chances via high-quality and universal social services.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Inequality Isn't the Problem
Chapter 2: Is Income Inequality Bad for Living Standards?
Chapter 3: Does Income Inequality Degrade Democracy?
Chapter 4: Does Income Inequality Obstruct Opportunity?
Chapter 5: Does Income Inequality Lessen Longevity?
Chapter 6: Does Income Inequality Hinder Happiness?
Chapter 7: Is Income Inequality Harmful?
Chapter 8: People Want Less Inequality, But It's Not a Priority for Them
Chapter 9: Inequality Reduction in Rich Nations May Impede Reduction of Worldwide Inequality
Chapter 10: What About Wealth?
Chapter 11: Inequality Reduction Should Be a Secondary Goal
Chapter 12: How to Reduce Inequality
Acknowledgments
Appendix
Notes
References
Index
