Economic inequality is the unequal distribution of income and wealth and it has been rising in the United States in recent decades. Questions about whether and how this rise in inequality affects economic growth and stability are fundamental to Equitable Growth’s work, which explores how economic inequality impacts individuals and families across a wide range of issues, and what policies might address these challenges.
Featured work
U.S. income and wealth inequality are no longer increasing, but a return to the equitable levels of the mid-20th century isn’t likely anytime soon
January 17, 2023
January 17, 2023
A review of federal lending to small business owners of color during the COVID-19 pandemic
December 13, 2022
December 13, 2022
Why the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is good economics
June 30, 2022
June 30, 2022
Six charts that explain how inequality in the United States changed over the past 20 years
February 1, 2022
February 1, 2022
The logistics of a reparations program in the United States
February 18, 2020
February 18, 2020
Explore Content in Economic Inequality792
Threats to social status and support for far-right political parties
September 11, 2025
September 11, 2025
How U.S. tax policies have fueled right-wing populism
September 11, 2025
September 11, 2025
To restore democracy, end shareholder primacy at U.S. corporations and on Wall Street
September 11, 2025
September 11, 2025
A place-based economic development strategy to foster rural U.S. prosperity
September 11, 2025
September 11, 2025
Populist voters feel a sense of loss that is reshaping democracies around the world
September 11, 2025
September 11, 2025
Equitable Growth awards funding to early career scholars studying the effects of economic inequality
August 20, 2025
August 20, 2025
Empirical Evaluations of Child Care Subsidy Policies
August 19, 2025
August 19, 2025
Supply Chain Resilience and Economic Growth: Evidence from Global Shipping Disruptions
August 19, 2025
August 19, 2025
The Distribution of Federally-Insured Mortgages: 1935-1975 Evidence from Local Land Records
August 19, 2025
August 19, 2025
What is austerity, and how does it affect the broader U.S. economy?
August 12, 2025
August 12, 2025
Explore the Equitable Growth network of experts around the country and get answers to today's most pressing questions!