Americans prefer a system of equal opportunity over one of equal results.
- They also reject the idea that meritocracy is a racist idea.
WHY IT MATTERS – The recent political focus on race relations and income inequality have reignited the debate over whether the government should more aggressively redistribute wealth and power in America.
THE QUESTIONS – A recent Scott Rasmussen national poll found:
- 61 percent prefer a system in which everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and some people end up far more successful and wealthy than others
- 26 percent prefer a system in which government leaders ensure that inequality is minimized so that everyone has roughly the same resources
- 13 percent were not sure
When asked if meritocracy and a hard work ethic are racist ideas
- 9 percent strongly agree
- 12 percent somewhat agree
- 16 percent somewhat disagree
- 47 percent strongly disagree
- 16 percent were not sure
AMERICAN MAJORITY – The results echo similar findings from America’s New Majority Project exploring the concept of “Equal Opportunity Capitalism.”
- Nuance – Of course, the meaning of “equal opportunity” can be a point of contention.
GO DEEPER – Source and supporting material.