Talks and presentations

The Effects of Competing Definitions of Income on Trends in U.S. Income Inequality

August 11, 2026

Talk, American Sociological Association, New York, NY, US

Income is an important indicator of a person’s quality of life and a critical variable in social science research. However, little such research makes explicit and justifies its definition of income, and many social scientific results might change if the definition of income were to change. This article makes two contributions to this unresolved situation. First, it demonstrates the empirical consequences of using various income definitions which expand the concept beyond the default wages-only model, reviewing the conceptual costs and benefits along the way. It does so with respect to one particularly important topic, trends in U.S. income inequality, finding that the use of most possible income definitions which go beyond the wages-only model result in increased inequality trends. Second, the paper highlights significant inconsistencies in two important expanded definitions of income and recommends its own definition: compensation for market activity, net of the costs of producing it.

The Contribution of Capital to US Income Inequality, 1980 – 2016

August 05, 2026

Talk, RC28, New York, NY, US

Income inequality in the United States rose substantially in the three and a half decades following 1980. Most sociological analyses of this phenomenon posit, implicitly or explicitly, that inequality is a function of differences in individuals’ labor-market characteristics, such as their level of education or their exposure to occupational closure. If this were true, labor income would be an important statistical contributor to inequality. However, the present paper demonstrates, using rich tax data, that most income inequality is instead driven by capital income, i.e., income received from the ownership of assets. Therefore, the unequal distribution of capital-ownership is instead the core inequality-generating mechanism. This study also provides a theoretical resolution to a puzzle posed by past analyses which stress the role of ownership relations. Eschewing the static class maps of those traditions, into which individuals fit poorly, it instead conceptualizes individuals as split into the roles of capital-owner and worker.

The Contribution of Capital to US Income Inequality, 1980 – 2016

August 15, 2024

Talk, American Sociological Association, Montréal, CA

Income inequality in the United States rose substantially in the three and a half decades following 1980. Most sociological analyses of this phenomenon posit, implicitly or explicitly, that inequality is a function of differences in individuals’ labor-market characteristics, such as their level of education or their exposure to occupational closure. If this were true, labor income would be an important statistical contributor to inequality. However, the present paper demonstrates, using rich tax data, that most income inequality is instead driven by capital income, i.e., income received from the ownership of assets. Therefore, the unequal distribution of capital-ownership is instead the core inequality-generating mechanism. This study also provides a theoretical resolution to a puzzle posed by past analyses which stress the role of ownership relations. Eschewing the static class maps of those traditions, into which individuals fit poorly, it instead conceptualizes individuals as split into the roles of capital-owner and worker.