http://wealthometer.org/US/index.html

Motivation

The purpose of this website is to contribute to an informed debate about the distribution of wealth and wealth taxes. This website provides answers to the following questions:

1) How unequal is the distribution of wealth in the US and in the countries of the Eurozone?

The degree of inequality in the distribution of wealth is often not quite appreciated in public debate. In the US, for instance, the top 5% of households own more than 50% of all assets.

2) What is your position in the US distribution of wealth? How would you be affected by a change in wealth taxes?

Surveys reveal that the majority of people (no matter whether they are poor or rich) believe that their position is in the middle of the distribution of wealth and income. It seems likely that part of the reason for this is that we primarily know people in a similar economic situation as ourselves, and that we have a hard time imagining that others are significantly richer or poorer than ourselves. Many people believe, furthermore, that they would end up paying a lot if wealth (or inheritance) taxes were to be raised. This is despite the fact that such taxes would primarily affect a small group of very wealthy households.

3) How would various alternative models of wealth taxes affect others, how would they affect public revenues, and how would they affect the distribution of wealth?

In controversies concerning tax policy, and economic policy more generally, an oft-discussed topic is how various measures would affect „the economy.“ This is not a particularly sensible question to ask, as most measures entail winners and losers, and corresponding conflicts of interest. Economic research can help clarify who would win or lose, and by how much. How these gains and losses are traded off against each other has to be decided in public debate.