In this paper we study a society in which individuals gain utility from income and from social approbation. Income is correlated with class. Approbation is given to an unobservable trait, which must be signalled through the agent’s social mobility, i.e. class change. Mobility is driven by a simple mechanism involving inheritance, effort and ability. Thus social structure (class composition) is ...

– We show that income distribution in the USA has a well-defined two-class structure. The majority of population (97–99%) belongs to the lower class characterized by the exponential Boltzmann-Gibbs (“thermal”) distribution. The upper class (1–3% of population) has a Pareto power-law (“superthermal”) distribution, whose parameters change in time with the rise and fall of stock market. We also di...

BACKGROUND Asthma is a chronic disease which places considerable economic, social and public health burdens on the society. Education, occupation and income are the most widely used indicators of socioeconomic status (SES). Studies have shown increased asthma hospital admissions for those who are materially deprived and increased asthma severity in low social class groups. The aim of this study...

– Personal income distribution in the USA has a well-defined two-class structure. The majority of population (97–99%) belongs to the lower class characterized by the exponential Boltzmann-Gibbs (“thermal”) distribution, whereas the upper class (1–3% of population) has a Pareto power-law (“superthermal”) distribution. By analyzing income data for 1983–2001, we show that the “thermal” part is sta...

Trust is the social glue that holds society together. The academic consensus trust weaker among lower-class individuals and in unequal regions/countries, which often considered a threat to healthy society. However, existing studies are inconsistent have two limitations: (i) variability measurement of class (ii) small numbers higher level units (regions/countries). We addressed these problems us...

Objectives. Income inequality in the United States has risen during the past several decades. Has this produced an increase in partisan voting differences between rich and poor? Methods. We examine trends from the 1940s through the 2000s in the country as a whole and in the states. Results. We find no clear relation between income inequality and class-based voting. Conclusions. Factors such as ...

The paper examines three issues in the identification of a possible “middle class” using data from LIS. It considers first definitions based purely on income, examining the rationale for different approaches and illustrating the implications for changes over time. It argues that any interpretation in terms of “class” requires the examination of dimensions other than income. The second part of t...