More Equality, More Well-Being for All
I am a big fan of the TED.com talks about current Technology, Entertainment and Design issues emerging around the world. A month or so ago I came across a TED Talk by Richard Wilkinson, a British health economist. It is 16 amazing minutes of one chart after the next establishing the correlation between income inequality/equality and suffering/thriving.
Normally we think about this topic through the lens of charity and “good works.” Now there is a different and more powerful way to think about it and how it impacts those who have a lot of money and those who don’t and everyone in between. This is a fundamental question that is relevant to community engagement and community success right here in Sarasota County.
What is Wilkinson talking about when he uses the term “equality?” He’s exploring the impact on overall well-being of the distance between those with very little income and those with a great deal. Specifically, he looks at the size of the gap and its impact on measures of societal health. In his words, he’s looking at, “…how much richer the richest 20% is … compared to the poorest 20%.” When one looks at this across countries, the difference between wealth and poverty ranges from about 4 times in the most equal countries to 10 times in the least equal. Equipped with that set of data, Wilkinson then looks at measures of success or well-being compared to these levels of income inequality. The charts below are a taste of this data.
The states in the US are also shown to have such a relationship.
The punch line is that, “The evidence shows that reducing (income) inequality is the best way of improving the quality of the social environment, and so the real quality of life for all of us… If you want to know why one country does better or worse than another, the first thing to look at is the extent of (income) inequality.”
In the United Kingdom the evidence suggests that if income inequality were halved:
- Murder rates would halve
- Mental illness would reduce by two thirds
- Obesity would halve
- Imprisonment would reduce by 80%
- Teen births would reduce by 80%
- Levels of trust would increase by 85%
As it turns out this topic has started to resonate with others. National columnist, Nicholas Kristof, cites some pretty startling numbers about the level of income inequality in our country. The 400 wealthiest Americans have a greater combined wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans. Data about our nation shows that we are one of the most unequal when it comes to income. What are the implications? The drop-out rate, violent crime, math and literacy and an index of overall well-being are related to income inequality.
Furthermore, both Kristof and economist Paul Krugman indicate that there is evidence from the International Monetary Fund that “equality appears to be an important ingredient in promoting and sustaining growth.” Of the 65 industrial nations, the more unequal ones experience slower growth on average.
Enough already with the citations and data. Sorry - I get into this stuff.
What are the implications for community engagement? SCOPE believes that important and lasting change/improvement happens as a result of residents being engaged. So when a recent report from the America’s Civic Health Index showed that even basic engagement declines as a result of job loss or economic decline, the fact that the Great Recession has had a real impact on engagement.
Particularly important to Sarasota County is that this new analysis from Wilkinson makes the case that ALL income levels are negatively impacted by income inequality. That means that even wealthy people suffer from decreased well-being when they live in a community with high income inequality. This is a big point, a little surprising to many and worthy of a more detailed analysis.
When Wilkinson turns his attention to the 50 US states he shows that “…income inequality exerts a comparable effect across all population subgroups.” Others characterize this by saying that “…inequality acted like a pollutant spread throughout society.” One can conclude that within the US as well, the “benefits of greater equality were largest in poorer counties, but still existed even in the richest counties.”
Finally, SCOPE recognizes that data about these issues are not available at the local level and having these data would be helpful to understand how these issues come to life here in our own community. Over the next months we will pursue these data and will bring them to you in the context of these robust international studies. This information may shed light on the issue and point toward how we can make local changes that impact our community well-being.
What we discover as a community has implications for actions and decisions around programs, policy, expenditures and a reorientation to what we thought to be the nature of well-being in community.
What data do we need at the local scale to better understand this?
What can you imagine could happen here in Sarasota County that might make a difference?
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Comments
This TEDTalk was an eye-opener for me. The picture couldn’t be any clearer: health and social problems are worse in communities where income inequality is higher.
I thought about this in relation to my recent community work in the Aging with Dignity and Independence initiative. One of the research questions we asked was, “What is not so good about aging in this community today?” Some of the respondents, adults age 65 and older, expressed concern and dislike about income disparities in their community. These are quotes from some of the participants:
“The gulf between the wealthy elderly and those on social security… At the condo where I live, (some) just hanging on and (another) in foreclosure because he had to borrow to pay medical bills. Their peers are redecorating their units and taking cruises!”
“Concern that the “haves” have too much and the “have nots” are slipping further behind.”
I appreciate Wilkinson’s analysis of economic inequality through the lens of social well-being; discussion about inequality has certainly been a recurring theme lately in the national and local media. Just last week I saw there was an opinion piece in the Sarasota Herald Tribune regarding Sarasota’s Economic Paradox. Even in the sunny “paradise” of Sarasota, there exists severe economic distress.
The challenge of finding data at the local level in Sarasota County is a great way that SCOPE and citizens of Sarasota County can generate dialogue around inequality. Part of my work at SCOPE involves working on the Community Data Initiative, and we regularly convene local “data stewards” in an effort to find detailed data, down to the most local scale possible. If we can find some of the data that Wilkinson uses (life expectancy, math and literacy, infant mortality, obesity, or social mobility) at the local scale, down to the block level, I wonder what we might learn about our neighborhoods. Would we be surprised by what the data indicates, or would it reinforce what many are already aware of?
Allison mentions that inequality and the dichotomy between people who are wealthy and those who aren’t is obvious in her neighborhood. Suzanne mentions that through her research with the Aging with Dignity and Independence Initiative, she has witnessed that many older adults sense inequality in their daily experiences as well. I see inequality in the transportation network all over the county: most of the streets here are designed for private cars, and those of us who travel on foot, by bicycle, or on public transportation are often quite vulnerable when traveling around the county. Work Matters!, one of the workgroups that is part of Continuing the Conversation (a group of citizens who meet regularly to discuss issues related to the aging demographic) has generated a report on the older worker in Sarasota County. This report examines local employment and workforce data, outlining the rising participation rate of the mature labor force amidst a scarcity of jobs. Local data about inequality should be available to reflect all of these experiences.
The charts are disturbing - especially when one finds his or her location. I do have a question, however. Where are the stats that show people are unhappy if there is social inequality? I’m not saying that is incorrect but I do wonder. Does someone on Casey Key or LBK feel less happy due to social inequality? Do they even think about it? I can see where someone on food stamps and unemployment would feel the discontent - even a sense of inability to improve his or her status. But is it a two way street? Do young people feel less happy because some elders are isolated? I don’t know the answers but I do raise the questions.
Because I can’t include hyperlinks here, I am instead posting my next comment as a separate blog entry on the SCOPE Blog - it is titled “Through the Census Looking Glass: Ecomonic Equality Here in Sarasota County.”
(Sarah Pappas sent this via email to Tim Dutton.)
I congratulate you on exploring this important subject…this is fast becoming a “hot” political and social topic. Our community would be well-served to conduct a healthy, civil dialogue to learn the impact of inequality issues on community life in Sarasota County……thanks
The Deal is Broken and in need of repair:
One of the historic compromises reached in the 20th Century between the competing economic philosophies of capitalism and socialism was that income inequality in society is acceptable provided there is a safety net and some form of equal opportunity to succeed. There was no single signing ceremony for this deal, but many signing ceremonies of many pieces of legislation over many decades. The principle underlying this deal is fairness. Winners and losers are OK provided the game is fair. But we seem to have forgotten that the deal brings with it the obligation to actively fight inequality and actively create opportunity. While there has been some progress mostly due to the labor and civil rights movements and their descendents, the “life chances” game in the US today is not even close to fair. We need to understand that income inequality is not just the latest fad in media coverage. It is the single most important measure of whether the fairness deal is working. And the data shows that inequality is bad and getting worse. In effect, the deal is broken and in need of repair. The question now is simply this: how do we marshal the political capital necessary to recoup our losses and put fairness back near the center of the American political agenda. In the 2010 election, total voter turnout was 41%. This means that 21% of the electorate decided the victory of the conservative anti-fairness agenda (don’t tax the rich, cut Medicare etc.). 60% stayed home and let it happen! There is a lot of talk these days about the rights of the 99%. But the 99% will never make progress unless and until the 60% show up at the polls. What do you think it will take for that to happen?
Mark Friedman
Author “Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough”
I will assume the data as presented by Mr. Wilkinson in the TED.com source is reasonably accurate, not skewed nor slanted to serve as the means to a desired end.
In offering comment on the subject of inequality of wealth, I believe that one must first recognize the variation in economic systems among the nations in this report. In that regard, I suggest that recommendations to narrow the inequities of wealth and/or income in the United States must be in consideration of the various entrepreneurial and personal success incentives granted by the constitution and our free enterprise system. To propose the enactment of laws restricting income or selective taxation which may impede the opportunities and ambitions of anyone inclined to seek career achievements and consequential wealth, would be inappropriate and contrary to the ideals basic to our way of life. A logical question may be …”shall we attempt to close the wealth inequity gap by reducing the worth of those who are wealhtiest or….increase the opportunities and provide encouragement for those who have the least?” It seems to me the choice is clear.
We are blessed in our country, with an ambitious and inventive younger generation who is obviously capable of finding solutions and the ways to make changes. I believe there ARE solutions and changes CAN be made while at the same time preserving the principles of our democracy and economic system. I am concerned but I am confident! As we have often repeated in self assessment, “Although our system of government is not perfect, it is certainly better than any other.” Let us be reminded by the never ending persistence of those who choose to immigrate to our United States in overwhelming numbers….and often with great personal risk.
Logan Dutton
This emphasis on our relationship to one another in community is a helpful way to understand well-being. And it makes sense to me that economic equity is itself such a meaningful indicator of overall well-being. When there is such a dramatic difference between the economic experience of people in the highest 20% and people in the lowest 20%, it is a sign that something is compromising the flow of money among and between people throughout the system – in this case, a nation, or a state. If we use the metaphor of a human being (also a system, at a different scale) it’s like when blood isn’t circulating well throughout the body…it’s a lot tougher to thrive as a whole person when you’re feeling sluggish overall, or when you can’t feel your fingers or your toes even though other parts of your body are getting as much blood as they need to be healthy.
So I am eager to see whether the association between economic equity and community well-being holds true locally when we zoom in to see what economic equity looks like in Sarasota County, relative to other counties in Florida, and across neighborhoods within the county.
Maybe “eager” is the wrong word, though – “anxious” might be better. When I next have a few minutes to reply, I’ll expand on that sentiment…