False consciousness or class awareness? Local income inequality, personal economic position, and belief in American meritocracy

• Autores: Benjamin J. Newman, Christopher D. Johnston, Patrick L. Lown
• Localización: American Journal of Political Science, ISSN-e 1540-5907, Vol. 59, Nº. 2, 2015, págs. 326-340
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Existing research analyzes the effects of cross-national and temporal variation in income inequality on public opinion; however, research has failed to explore the impact of variation in inequality across citizens� local residential context. This article analyzes the impact of local inequality on citizens� belief in a core facet of the American ethos�meritocracy. We advance conditional effects hypotheses that collectively argue that the effect of residing in a high-inequality context will be moderated by individual income. Utilizing national survey data, we demonstrate that residing in more unequal counties heightens rejection of meritocracy among low-income residents and bolsters adherence among high-income residents. In relatively equal counties, we find no significant differences between high- and low-income citizens. We conclude by discussing the implications of class-based polarization found in response to local inequality with respect to current debates over the consequences of income inequality for American democracy.