economic inequality
Definition
Economic inequality refers to disparate distributions of wealth across racial and ethnic groups, producing hierarchical structures that shape both objective circumstances and subjective perceptions of social standing. One consequence is that White Americans whose personal finances fall short of race-class stereotypes may experience a subjective sense of falling behind, even when they are not objectively the lowest-status individuals in a given sample.
Sources: Kukharkin et al. (2026)
Related Terms
- political psychology (1 shared article)
- status (1 shared article)
- latent profile analysis (1 shared article)
- longitudinal design (1 shared article)
Applications
Economic Inequality and Subjective Status Perception
Racial economic inequality in the United States contributes to race-class stereotypes that cast White people as wealthy, which in turn prompts many White Americans to perceive themselves as falling behind other members of their own racial group. White Americans who simultaneously perceive themselves as worse off than White and Asian Americans and as close to being surpassed by Black and Hispanic Americans within the socioeconomic hierarchy report the highest support for DEI bans, alt-right ideology, and Donald Trump, even after controlling for objective indicators of income and education.
Sources: Kukharkin et al. (2026)
Economic Inequality and Political Attitudes
Racial economic inequality provides the backdrop against which some White Americans interpret their subjective position in a perceived tight status hierarchy, and those who feel closest to last place within that hierarchy show the strongest support for candidates and policies associated with the alt-right. In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, membership in a latent profile reflecting last-place status perceptions was associated with significantly higher odds of voting for Trump relative to profiles reflecting higher perceived standing.
Sources: Kukharkin et al. (2026)
