ABSTRACT
Worldwide data show that in the recent period the rich have become richer but fewer and the poor less poor but not by much. The trembling state of democracy in some developed countries has brought about a split in the once compact middle class between a prosperous segment and an impoverished one. Instead of its classical role providing intermediate social and political balance, moderation and stability, the splitting middle class in rich countries has become a key focus of disunion and confrontation. Polarization increases and political instability intensifies.
In poorer countries, economic inequality, if it involves huge accumulation of wealth by a tiny minority and broad impoverishment, may be fatal for democracy. But if it is produced by not only a significant increase in the wealth of the rich but also improvement in the economic conditions of most people, it may not necessarily destabilize a democratic regime.
