Politics of Envy
In a 1995 survey of Harvard students and staff, what portion said they wouldn't want everyone to become richer if it meant that the Harvardites would be poorer than everyone else?
Correct Answer
A 1995 survey of 247 students and staff at the Harvard School of Public Health found that about half of them would prefer to live in a world where they earn $50,000/year and others earn $25,000, as opposed to a world where they earn $100,000 and others earn $200,000. The study was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, and its conclusion states that "the majority of respondents to our survey rejected the prospect of everyone becoming richer if it was accompanied by a fall in their own relative standing." Some have claimed that these results reflect concerns that higher incomes could cause inflation, but the respondents were explicitly told that the "prices" of goods and services are "the same" in both scenarios. Moreover, income growth does not necessitate inflation. For example, wages grew significantly during the 1800s, while the Consumer Price Index stayed roughly level.
DocumentationStudy ResultsWages in the 1800sCPI in the 1800s