The latest Gallup Economy and Personal Finance survey indicates that about two-thirds of Americans believe that money and wealth distribution is unfair in the United States.  This percentage has remained largely unchanged since 1984, when Gallup started polling respondents about their attitudes toward wealth distribution.

These attitudes are strongly correlated with partisanship and income.  Large majorities of Democrats, Liberals, and those with incomes below $30,000 believe that wealth distribution is unfair.


Fifty-two percent of Americans believe that a better wealth distribution can be achieved by taxing the rich more heavily.  This number has increased steadily over the last 75 years: in 1940, 35 percent supported taxing the rich more, while 54 percent opposed this idea.

Gallup analysts conclude, based on these results, that:

"Analyzing how Americans respond to both questions about inequality shows that nearly half of Americans (46%) are strong redistributionists -- in the sense that they believe the distribution of wealth and income is not fair, and endorse heavy taxes on the rich as a way of redistributing wealth. One in four are in essence free-market advocates -- sanguine about the distribution of wealth and income and not supporting heavy taxes on the rich. Another 16% say the income and wealth distribution is not fair, but don't endorse heavy taxes as a remedy. A small percentage have the somewhat contradictory views of believing that the distribution is fair but favoring heavy taxes on the rich."

Read more:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/182987/americans-continue-say-wealth-distribution-unfair.aspx?utm_source=Economy&utm_medium=newsfeed&utm_campaign=tiles

TeachingwithData.org:
Wealth Inequality in America (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3922)
Interacting with America (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3041)
Studies in Income and Wealth (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3255)
Social Class and Attitudes about Inequality: A Data-Driven Learning Guide (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3459)
Income Inequality In the United States (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3182)