growing gap
The issue of income inequality is back in the news at a time when the U.S. public believes there is a growing gulf between rich and poor that is likely to continue, according to recent Pew Research Center surveys.
A substantial majority of Americans (65%) said in an July 2012 Pew Research survey that they believed the income gap between the rich and poor had widened over the last decade. Just 20% said it had stayed the same and 7% said it was smaller. Most of those (57%) who believed the gap had grown said it was a bad thing for society.
The Growing Gap Between Rich and Poor  | % saying the income gap between rich and poor has in the past 10 years  | Iflarger: bad thing Is this for a good society? thing  | Iflarger: mora bad thing for good society? thing  | Gotten  | 3%  | smaller  | Good  | thing  | 7%  | Gotten  | Stayed the  | larger  | thing Bad  | same  | 57%  | thing Bad  | 20%  | 65%  | 9%  | Don't  | know  | Notes: Based Q13b on all adults N=2,508. Percentages may not add to 100% due to  | rounding and Don For know/ Q13b Refused" (good thing/) shown bad thing), Percentages vo untary responses of Mixe d/Neither'  | rounding and Don For know/ Q13b Refused" (good thing/) not shown bad thing),  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER July 2012 