The growing wealth and income gap between the wealthiest and poorest Americans is real, and, according to a recent study, responsible for higher levels of social ills and unrest in the U.S.
Whether the relationship is causal or a result, education and race play an uncomfortable role in this dynamic, one that is likely to worsen.
In a recent study about the correlation between differences in income and social cohesion, Professors Kate Pickett and Richard Williamson found that income inequality is highly and positively correlated with an index measuring 11 combined social items: life expectancies, literacy, infant mortality, homicides, imprisonment, teenage births, trust, obesity, mental illness, addiction and social mobility.
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