Scientific American - November 2018

54 Scientific American, November 2018

INSIDE

A RIGGED ECONOMY

Economic inequality

is higher in the U.S.

than in virtually all other

advanced countries.

The American political

system, coupled with high

initial inequality, gave the

moneyed enough political

”§ær§ZrÜ«ZD§†r›DéÒÜ«

Or§rÜܐr¡Òr›èrÒd{æÍܐrÍ

exacerbating inequality.

Breaking this feedback

loop by curbing the power

«{¡«§rë”§μ«›”Ü”ZÒ”ÒrÒÒr§-

tial to reducing inequality and

restoring hope.

AUTOMATING BIAS

Politicians and program

administrators are increas -

ingly using algorithms to

determine whether poor

μr«μ›rDÍrr›”†”O›r{«Í

government services.

But without addressing

ܐrO”††rÍμÍ«O›r¡Ò«{

systemic bias and broken

policy, automation only

entrenches inequality.

THE HEALTH-

WEALTH GAP

Inequality leads to poor

health and early death—

Oæܧ«Ü™æÒÜOrZDæÒr«{

reduced access to health

care and nutrition.

A wider gap between rich

and poor increases wear

and tear on body parts

through chronic stress,

recent research shows.

Such psychosocial stress

hits the body in three ways:

«§†«”§†”§D¡¡Dܔ«§d

frÒÜÍæZܔ«§«{šrëZÍ«¡«-

somal elements and impair-

¡r§Ü«{OÍD”§DÍrDÒ»

THE ENVIRONMENTAL

COST OF INEQUALITY

People who are poorer

Òæ|r͆ÍrDÜr͐DÍ¡{Í«¡

environmental degradation

than others do.

A greater gap in a given

place between those with

and without economic and

political power drives greater

environmental damage there.

A new environmentalism

is helping to protect mar gin-

D›”îrfμr«μ›r鐫{DZr

DÍ¡{Í«¡”§f”è”fæD›Ò

鐫Or§rÜ{Í«¡r§è”Í«§-

mental degradation.

HIGH ECONOMIC INEQUALITY NEGATIVELY IMPACTS NEARLY EVERY ASPECT OF HUMAN

well-being—as well as the health of the biosphere. Contrary to intuition, it

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SPECIAL REPORT

Illustration by Andrea Ucini

THE

SCIENCE

OF

INEQUALITY

THE

SCIENCE

OF

INEQUALITY

INEQUALITY

THE SCIENCE OF