Editing Distribution of wealth (section)

==Redistribution of wealth and public policy==
{{see also|Redistribution of income and wealth|Wealth distribution by country}}

In many societies, attempts have been made, through [[property redistribution]], [[taxation]], or [[regulation]], to [[Redistribution (economics)|redistribute]] wealth, sometimes in support of the upper class, and sometimes to diminish [[economic inequality]].

Examples of this practice go back at least to the [[Roman Republic]] in the third century B.C.,<ref>Livy, Rome and Italy: Books VI-X of the History of Rome from its Foundation, Penguin Classics, {{ISBN|0-14-044388-6}}</ref> when laws were passed limiting the amount of wealth or land that could be owned by any one family. Motivations for such limitations on wealth include the desire for equality of opportunity, a fear that great wealth leads to political corruption, to the belief that limiting wealth will gain the political favor of a [[voting bloc]], or fear that extreme concentration of wealth results in rebellion.<ref>"…&nbsp;A perceived sense of inequity is a common ingredient of rebellion in societies …", [[Amartya Sen]], 1973</ref> Various forms of [[socialism]] attempt to diminish the unequal distribution of wealth and thus the conflicts and social problems arising from it.<ref>"The Spirit Level" by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett;Bloomsbury Press 2009</ref>

During the [[Age of Enlightenment|Age of Reason]], [[Francis Bacon]] wrote "Above all things good policy is to be used so that the treasures and monies in a state be not gathered into a few hands…  Money is like fertilizer, not good except it be spread."<ref>Francis Bacon, ''Of Seditions and Troubles''</ref>

The rise of [[Communism]] as a political movement has partially been attributed to the distribution of wealth under capitalism in which a few lived in luxury while the masses lived in [[extreme poverty]] or deprivation.  However, in the ''[[Critique of the Gotha Program]]'', [[Karl Marx|Marx]] and [[Frederick Engels|Engels]] criticized German Social Democrats for placing emphasis on issues of distribution instead of on production and ownership of [[Means of production|productive property]].<ref>''[[Critique of the Gotha Program]]'', Karl Marx. Part I: "Quite apart from the analysis so far given, it was in general a mistake to make a fuss about so-called distribution and put the principal stress on it."</ref> While the ideas of Marx have nominally influenced various states in the 20th century, the Marxist notions of [[socialism]] and communism remains elusive.<ref>Archie Brown, ''The Rise and Fall of Communism'', Ecco, 2009, {{ISBN|978-0-06-113879-9}}</ref>{{vague|date=December 2019}}

On the other hand, the combination of [[labor movements]], [[technology]], and [[social liberalism]] has diminished extreme poverty in the [[developed world]] today, though extremes of wealth and poverty continue in the [[Third World]].<ref>Jeffrey D. Sachs, ''The End of Poverty'', Penguin, 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-14-303658-6}}</ref>

In the Outlook on the Global Agenda 2014 from the [[World Economic Forum]] the widening income disparities come second as a worldwide risk.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reports.weforum.org/outlook-14/top-ten-trends-category-page/2-widening-income-disparities/ |title=Outlook on the Global Agenda 2014 – Reports |publisher= World Economic Forum |website=Reports.weforum.org |access-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/bp-working-for-few-political-capture-economic-inequality-200114-en.pdf |title=178 Oxfam Briefing Paoer |date=January 20, 2014 |website=Oxfam.org |access-date=September 10, 2016 |archive-date=October 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008051701/https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/bp-working-for-few-political-capture-economic-inequality-200114-en.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to a 2009 meta-analysis by Paul and Moser, countries with high income inequality and poor unemployment protections experience worse mental health outcomes among the unemployed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The toll of job loss |url=https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/10/toll-job-loss |access-date=November 26, 2023 |website=www.apa.org}}</ref>