Audio: U.S. Tolerance of Income Inequality

Tolerance of the extent of income inequality varies among countries. Acceptance of income inequality is higher in the United States than in any other developed country. Many U.S. conservatives argue that significant differences in family or individual income levels stimulate activist entrepreneurs to try harder and that this leads to more economic growth than would be the case if income inequalities were substantially lower. Call this the philosophical argument for income inequality.  Groups that seek to retain the current degree of U.S. inequality do not call attention to the extent and sophistication of the special pleading of the rich.