Economic Inequality Shapes Judgments of Consumption - Michael Norton

October 12, 2021, Paper: "Economic inequality affects not only how individuals judge and behave in their own lives, but also how those individuals’ judge and behave toward others – both people and firms. First, the consumption decisions of others are often evaluated through a moral lens, such that lower-income consumers are held to more negative, restrictive standards of what is acceptable to purchase. Second, firms that perpetuate inequality among their employees or their customers – through unequal pay or unequal services – are viewed negatively. We discuss the implications of economic inequality shaping people’s moral scrutiny of others."

Non-HKS Author Website - Michael Norton