Rich, poor tension at 25-year high

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Updated: February 16, 2012 8:24AM

Tensions between the rich and poor are increasing and at their most intense level in nearly a quarter-century, a new survey shows. Americans now see more social conflict over wealth inequality than over the hot-button topics of immigration, race relations and age.

According to the new Pew Research Center survey, 66 percent of respondents agree that there are “very strong” or “strong” conflicts between rich and poor in America. This is up from 47 percent who agreed with this two years ago.

Still, public attitudes toward wealthy Americans remain largely unchanged.

About 46 percent of Americans hold a disapproving view that rich people are wealthy because they were fortunate enough to be born into money or have the right connections. But almost as many people — 43 percent — say wealthy people are rich “mainly because of their own hard work, ambition or education.”

Pew based its findings on interviews with 2,048 adults.

AP