Inequality in the United States and Germany: Facts, Interpretations, and Blind Spots

There is renewed scholarly and public interest in the issue of economic inequality on both sides of the Atlantic. This paper first presents some trends and facts on inequality, then reviews debates about high and rising inequality in the US, before turning to blind spots in inequality debates in Europe, with a particular focus on Germany. The paper ends with some speculations about the differences in the nature of the debates and policy action on inequality on both sides of the Atlantic.