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Restoring the Tradition of Rigor and Relevance toPolitical Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2006

Lawrence R. Jacobs  and
Theda Skocpol
Lawrence R. Jacobs
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Theda Skocpol
Affiliation:
Harvard University
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Extract

American society has witnessed an extraordinary widening of economicinequality in the period since World War II that is unmatched amongadvanced industrialized countries. In 2003, the most affluent fifthreceived 47.6% of family income, the middle class (the third andfourth fifths) earned 15.5% and 23.3%, respectively, while thebottom two quintiles each received less than 10%. (Twenty-onepercent of family income went to the top 5%.) In other words, therichest 20% obtained nearly half of the country's income. Thatincome (and wealth) is unevenly distributed is neither new nornecessarily disturbing. What is remarkable is the large andunmistakable increase in the concentration ofincome at the top (Mishel, Bernstein, and Allegretto 2005).

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Type
SYMPOSIUM
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , January 2006 , pp. 27 - 31
Copyright
© 2006 The American Political Science Association

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