ABSTRACT
Why do some Americans have a lot more than others? Perhaps, inequality follows inevitably from human nature. Some people are born with more talent than others; the first succeed while the others fail in life’s competition. Many people accept this explanation, but it will not suffice. Inequality is not fated by nature, nor even by the “invisible hand” of the market; it is a social construction, a result of our historical acts. Americans have created the extent and type of inequality we have, and Americans maintain it.
