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As reported recently in the New York Times, a new survey finds that the biggest source of tension in this country isn't race, religion, or Superbowl favorite. It's the conflict between rich and poor. But even as Americans are angrier about their own economic opportunities, fewer believe that income inequality should be fixed. The Pew Research Center found that 82% think economic growth should be a priority, but only 45% think reducing the gap between rich and the poor is important - a significant decline from 10 years ago.
Here's a reason we should all care, even the 1%: Economic inequality doesn't just strain our national unity. It also threatens our individual welfare and freedom. It makes us sicker, stressed out, and yes, even fatter.
Research consistently shows that nations with a higher gap between rich and poor have shorter life expectancies and worse educational outcomes, as well as higher rates of infant mortality, mental illness, addiction, violence, imprisonment, and teenage pregnancy. In other words, almost every issue Americans care about is made worse by the growing gap between rich and poor. And it's not a trivial contribution. One analysis found that income inequality in the United States has a higher toll on life expectancy than lung cancer, diabetes, car accidents, AIDs, suicide, and homicide combined.
Economic inequality may also be contributed to the obesity epidemic, which recently surpassed smoking as the leading cause of cancer in the U.S. A 2012 report from the University of Oxford found that nations with higher levels of economic insecurity - including less support for the unemployed, and less universal access to healthcare - also have higher rates of obesity. (The U.S. tops the both lists.)
What's the connection between economic insecurity and weight? All that uncertainty sends the brain and body into survival mode. Stress turns us into the most impulsive version of ourselves. Immediate gratification becomes more appealing, temptations more tempting, and the brain temporarily "forgets" the long-term consequences of a choice. This may be one reason that economic inequality is associated with social ills like teenage pregnancy, violence, and addiction.
It's easy to think this is just an issue for those at the bottom, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The upwardly striving middle class are often the most unhappy in high-inequality economies. And it's no picnic being at the top of an insecure hierarchy -- even the well-off worry about losing what they have. Inequality and insecurity erode trust within every segment of society, and that hurts all of us. People who mistrust others wind up sicker and die sooner -- and that goes for rich as well as the poor.
It's clear that perfect equality and security are wishful thinking -- and to most Americans, not even an ideal. But we may not need to go that far. Many economists believe that there is a tipping point, a level of inequality that becomes toxic. One such suggested cut-off uses the Gini index, a common measure of economic inequality. The Gini index can range from .00 (perfect equality) to 1.00 (extreme inequality). Economists believe when the index reaches .30, societies suffer. The Gini index of the U.S. has been hovering around 47 for the last decade. We have room for improvement, but it's not an unimaginable distance to go.
All Americans share a dream of greater economic opportunity, national achievement, health, and happiness. But as the latest survey shows, we're suspicious about whether addressing the gap between rich and poor should be part of that dream. Whether you favor conservative or liberal policies, economic inequality should be an issue in every voter's mind this election. The growing gap between rich and poor is a tax we don't even realize we're paying, and even those doing well in this insecure economy are picking up the tab.
For more information about this issue, see:
Kelly McGonigal is a psychologist at Stanford University. Her latest book is The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It.
