Distribution of wealth

September 14, 2016

The most surprising fact about American poverty

Every year, the U.S. Census comes out with its report on incomes and poverty. And every year the same finding repeatedly surprises me. As economist David Henderson says, the report “always shows that there is mobility between income categories, even in the short run, and that poverty is temporary for most people in America who experience it. Continue Reading...

April 29, 2015

Income Inequality Isn’t The Problem; Greed Is

Recently, Rev. Robert Sirico spoke in Chicago. He was asked a question regarding income inequality. His answer was that he didn’t care how much money Bill Gates had, nor did it matter to him the difference between Gates’ income and say, Warren Buffet’s. Continue Reading...

February 06, 2015

Is Your Child “Richer” Than the “Poorest” 2 Billion People in the World Combined?

“The bottom half of the world’s population owns the same as the richest 85 people in the world.” The stat was quoted last month in a report by the development organization Oxfam, but similar claims have become common. Continue Reading...

January 21, 2015

Redistribution and the State of the Union

Today at Think Christian I reflect on President Obama’s State of the Union message last night. I think it was perhaps the best speech I have heard him give in terms of delivery and general tone. Continue Reading...

December 02, 2014

I’m a Giant in Japan. Or, Why Income Inequality is Irrelevant

For most of my life I was, at 5-foot-10, of exactly average height. But in the span of one day in 1989 I became freakishly tall. While I hadn’t grown an inch upward, I had moved 6,000 miles eastward to Okinawa, Japan. Continue Reading...

August 27, 2014

Which Inequality? Trends Toward Equality in Lifespans and Education

Earlier this month, I wrote a two part article for the Library of Law & Liberty, critiquing the uncritical condemnation of income inequality by world religious leaders. In part 1, I pointed out that “while the Pope, the Patriarch, the Dalai Lama, and others are right about the increase in [global income] inequality, they are wrong to conclude that this causes global poverty—the latter is demonstrably on the decline. Continue Reading...

August 07, 2014

The Connection Between Inequality and Poverty Alleviation

“If there is one thing that religious leaders around the world seem to agree on today,” says Acton research associate Dylan Pahman, “it is the evils of income inequality stemming from a globalized economy.” Continue Reading...

May 14, 2014

Income Inequality: You Can’t Handle The Truth

The rich get richer and the rest of us…well, we struggle along. Shouldn’t those with more money be spreading it out a bit more? My coffers clink with spare change; I sure could use some of that money. Continue Reading...

April 24, 2014

Capital Then and Now

Speaking of Thomas Piketty, here’s a very helpful and revealing interview with Matthew Yglesias, “Thomas Piketty doesn’t hate capitalism: He just wants to fix it.” (HT: PEG) A few highlights with some comment: On the need for a historical perspective in economics: Thomas Piketty: … It’s not only economists’ fault. Continue Reading...

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