Views on Inequality

I think these survey results are quite interesting:

A few observations:

(1) Big picture: 60 percent want a more equal distribution of wealth. A nation of closet socialists!

(2) Religion: Catholics generally support greater equality, which tells me that Catholic social teaching is sifting through! Not surprising, Protestants are less supportive – except for black Protestants, who support it strongly – but even here, a slim majority favors less inequality. I find it interesting that white evangelicals are about 20 percentage points more likely than Republicans to support a more equal society (quite surprising given the strong overlap between these groups).

(3) Age: Old people oppose redistribution of wealth; young people strongly support it. This adds further support to the notion that the economic views espoused on Fox News and right-wing talk radio appeal to a narrow group of older, whiter, people. And these (fairly unpopular) views have hijacked the Republican party.