Introduction:wealth, inequality and redistribution in capitalist societies

This special issue addresses the question of why high levels of wealth inequality in many countries are not met with greater public discontent and demand for redistribution. The introduction contextualizes this focus by providing an overview on the social science literature explaining the patterns and drivers of wealth inequality in capitalist societies in the post-war era. The contributions enhance the understanding of why wealth inequality remains largely unchallenged by the public in the following ways: (a) through shedding light on the perceptions of different groups and asking how they perceive wealth inequality and the wealthy; (b) by asking why the non-wealthy seldom oppose wealth inequality; and (c) by reconstructing how political and economic elites conceive of wealth-related policies, such as wealth taxes. Future avenues for research, especially regarding the legitimation of wealth and the elaboration of a relational perspective, are outlined.