Evening Meeting - Economic inequality in the US

The speaker, McKenzie Wilkins, Harvard Business School Leadership Initiative Program Manager and Incoming Oxford PhD Student, will talk about the growing economic inequality in the United States.

 

In McKenzie's words: “ Economic inequality in the United States has surged to levels reminiscent of the pre-1940s, with the gap between the wealthiest Americans and the rest of the population continuing to widen (Saez & Zucman, 2020). This presentation explores how such inequality exacerbates disparities in health, education, and environmental conditions, ultimately diminishing overall quality of life. Drawing on the concept of positive peace from the Institute for Economics and Peace, I will highlight how addressing structural inequality is essential for creating more sustainable and equitable systems. A central focus of my research is the persistent disconnect between widespread awareness of economic inequality and the lack of urgency to address it. I aim to investigate how Americans’ attitudes and values have shifted over the past six decades in relation to perceived national priorities, and why reducing economic inequality has not emerged as a central concern—especially when compared to other developed nations.”