Inequality is on the rise: gains have been concentrated with a small elite, while most have seen their fortunes stagnate or fall. Despite what scholars and journalists consider a worrying trend, there is no evidence of growing popular concern about inequality. In fact, research suggests that citizens in unequal societies are less concerned than those in more egalitarian societies. How to make sense of this paradox? I argue that citizens’ consent to inequality is explained by their growing conviction that societal success is reflective of a meritocratic process. Drawing on 25 years of International Social Survey Program data, I show that rising inequality is legitimated by the popular belief that the income gap is meritocratically deserved: the more unequal a society, the more likely its citizens are to explain success in meritocratic terms, and the less important they deem nonmeritocratic factors such as a person’s family wealth and connections.

中文翻译：

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不平等的悖论：收入不平等和对精英统治的信仰齐头并进

不平等正在加剧：收益集中在少数精英手中，而大多数人的财富停滞不前或下降。尽管学者和记者认为这是一个令人担忧的趋势，但没有证据表明人们对不平等的担忧日益加剧。事实上，研究表明，不平等社会中的公民比平等社会中的公民更不关心。如何理解这个悖论？我认为，公民对不平等的同意是因为他们越来越相信社会成功是精英管理过程的反映。借鉴国际社会调查计划 25 年的数据，我表明，收入差距是精英应得的普遍信念，证明不平等加剧是合理的：社会越不平等，其公民就越有可能用精英来解释成功，