The affluent were more likely than others to tie economic outcomes to intelligence and hard work, and the top 1% were unique in emphasizing both choices and genes as causes of those traits

Ideology of Affluence: Rich Americans' Explanations for Inequality and Attitudes toward Redistribution. Elizabeth Suhay, Marko Klasnja, Gonzalo Rivero. The Journal of Politics, April 13, 2020. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1086/709672

Abstract: As economic inequality increases, so does the importance of understanding affluent perspectives on the problem. We examine whether affluent Americans are more likely than others to hold individuals responsible for economic outcomes, and if such beliefs are associated with their attitudes toward redistribution. We conducted a novel survey that oversampled the top 5% of the U.S. income and wealth distributions. We elicited views about why some people achieve more success than others (intelligence, hard work, family wealth, luck) as well as why people vary in success-linked traits (their choices, environments, genes). Affluent Americans were more likely than others to tie economic outcomes to intelligence and hard work, and the top 1% were unique in emphasizing both choices and genes as causes of those traits. This individualization of economic outcomes was more strongly associated with economic conservatism among the affluent than others, suggesting it may justify their greater opposition to redistribution.

Keywords: economic inequality; wealthy people; causal attributions; genetic essentialism;
redistribution attitudes