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Paul Taylor, EVP Pew Research Center, on a recent study that found tensions between the rich and poor are escalating.
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In decades joining me now is Paul Taylor executive vice president of the Pew Research Center Paul.
You know what I saw the headline I was absolutely shocked that it went through the entire report great job as usual from you guys what's what's -- several -- -- wanna go through with this what you what's the overall narrative though the report.
Well this is a question we've asked over the years -- ended asked for people's perceptions of conflict between different groups in society.
We asked about four different potential sources of conflict rich vs poor immigrant vs native born blacks vs whites and young vs -- hold.
Week when we did this survey just last month for the first time we've fact we found that.
More people think there is conflict between rich and poor than any of the other three groups and there was a big jump in ask the question two years before.
And there was about twenty percentage point increase in the share of the public who see -- conflict in this country between -- import.
-- we have heard.
Almost nonstop about how unfair this country is the income inequality GAAP.
You know we even heard this week from Warren Buffett.
Who you know who keeps joining -- -- gonna gonna cover of time magazine on this topic.
Overall we see what's driving it -- work at this lead -- to.
Well let me let me try to part.
This issue about rich vs poor and a couple of different ways we had another question on this survey which asked people how do you think the rich got rich do you think they were born into it.
Or do you think it's because of their own hard work in ambition.
And we see the public they're almost exactly evenly divided about 46% say that they were born into -- about 43%.
Say no it was their own hard work.
That hasn't changed much so.
And those who suggest that there's been a spike in people who India resent the rich I don't think there are numbers that support that.
However on the question of income inequality bonus for example eleven jump in -- -- of this -- that what this conflict mean to you what -- more conflict may because obviously that spike and to me that means resentment.
Well I would suggest that conflict probably means an increase in perception -- you mentioned Occupy Wall Street but we did this survey.
In mid December about a month ago.
A lot of headlines from the fall that it is September October November December.
Not just -- -- on Wall Street and around the country where -- -- Occupy Wall Street protests they got a lot of coverage.
And they generated a lot of additional media coverage about income inequality.
So I think that probably a lot of people were reacting it's -- specifically to what was going on with those protests.
And that leads to an increase in perception of conflict doesn't necessarily lead to an increase in resentment or -- although I do think.
That the public has registered the fact that income inequality has grown in this country let let let me point out another survey finding from a different survey we also took last month.
We asked people.
-- do you think the US tax system is fair the majority say -- We then ask well why isn't fair is it because you're paying too much and taxes.
11% only say -- and it's it's not that is it because if you think wealthy people pay too little intact right.
57%.
Say yes.
I mean so I think it and to people that's the scary thing it's it's Nino in other words of -- like.
There's his growing animosity to the point where we wanna bring the rich down a path again in either -- two powerful.
They don't pay enough taxes and and to me that's that's a slippery slope.
Well you know there's adults saying in polling and actually politics about attitudes towards the rates was -- Americans don't hate the rich Americans want to be rich.
And in the there -- two strands of of public opinion on that.
-- Americans love the free enterprise system they love the fact that in this country if you were key you can get rate that is a part of the American dream.
But Americans also do care about -- that equality and inequality.
And I think there is an increasing sense that whether it's the tax system or whether it's simply that distribution of income and we see this in our surveys.
There's a higher percentage of people who say something -- unfair here doesn't necessarily mean they want to punish people but they're looking for equity.
Alright it fantastic report I I advise everyone knew Doug go to your site and look it up Bob because it is really great report thank you very much Paul Taylor of the -- reserves and we appreciate it.
