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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 29/09/2026

Effects seem concentrated in voting rights and gerrymandering: more restrictive participation rules and maps that make outcomes less representative.

Coefficient plot showing the estimated effect of the millionaire wealth share on four areas of state democracy, estimated by two-stage least squares with 95% confidence intervals. Elections: about −0.03, interval includes zero. Responsiveness: about −0.06, interval includes zero. Gerrymandering: about −0.10, interval below zero. Voting rights: about −0.16, the largest effect, interval clearly below zero. Rising wealth concentration mainly erodes democracy through restrictions on voting rights and gerrymandering.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 29/09/2026

Where millionaire wealth concentration rose most, state democracy declined most. A shift-share instrument suggests that a 10-point rise in the millionaire wealth share lowers a state's democracy score by ~1.6 SD.

Binned scatter plot of millionaire wealth share (horizontal axis, about 44% to 65%) against the state electoral democracy index (vertical axis, higher values mean more democratic). The plot adjusts for average wealth and year fixed effects. A downward-sloping fitted line shows that states with higher wealth concentration have lower democracy scores. The coefficient is −0.42 and statistically significant: a one-standard-deviation increase in the millionaire wealth share is associated with a 0.42 standard deviation lower democracy score.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 29/09/2026

Is this the new Gilded Age? Wealth concentration has surged: between 2000 and 2020, the share of wealth held by millionaires rose in almost all states.

Scatter plot of U.S. states comparing the share of wealth held by millionaire households in 2000 (horizontal axis) with the same share in 2020 (vertical axis). Bubbles are sized by the number of households, and a diagonal line marks no change. Almost every state sits above the line, meaning wealth concentration rose between 2000 and 2020. Ohio is the main exception, falling below the line. West Virginia has the lowest concentration in both years (about 35% in 2000, about 39% in 2020). California, New York, Hawaii, New Jersey and Connecticut have the highest, at roughly 75–78% in 2020. North Dakota and Oklahoma show some of the largest increases.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 29/09/2026

Timely new paper in @socioeconreview.bsky.social: Does rising wealth concentration undermine American democracy? Using variation across the 50 U.S. states, results reveal a clear, negative effect of millionaire wealth concentration on democratic performance. doi.org/10.1093/ser/mwag058

Wealth concentration in the United States has reached heights not seen since the Gilded Age, renewing fears that concentrated economic power may undermine democracy. Yet empirical research linking inequality to democratic erosion remains inconclusive, partly because most studies focus on cross-country comparison and examine income rather than wealth. This study exploits variation across fifty U.S. states; each
embedded in a common federal framework but differing in political and economic dynamics. To estimate the exogenous effect of rising wealth concentration on democratic backsliding, I develop a shift-share instrument of state-level millionaire wealth shares. Results reveal a clear, negative effect on democratic performance. Causal mediation analysis demonstrates that the effect is mediated by the share of seats held by
Republicans in state legislatures, pointing to a mechanism of elite influence through partisan channels. These findings demonstrate that subnational wealth disparities, and their convergence with partisan politics, actively erode American democratic institutions.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 15/06/2026

Can childhood exposure to rising local wealth inequality help to explain growing class gaps in income mobility? Short answer: Yes! New paper with @ftorche.bsky.social now out OA in @sociologicalsci.bsky.social here: sociologicalscience.com/articles-v13... #Demography #Sociology #EconSky

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 13/04/2026

New paper documenting a negative association between childhood exposure to local wealth inequality and inter-class social ties in adulthood. If children have fewer chances to meet peers from different class backgrounds, those divides may persist far beyond childhood.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 27/02/2026

Results show a marked relationship between increases in local wealth inequality and reduced mobility for children in the lower half of the income distribution.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 27/02/2026

Our working paper builds on this recent publication in @natureportfolio.nature.com yet moves from cross-sectional to first-difference models: doi.org/10.1038/s414...

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 27/02/2026

⚠️ New WP ⚠️ with @ftorche.bsky.social: Can childhood exposure to local wealth inequality help explain growing class gaps in income mobility? Short answer: Yes! Read the full answer here: doi.org/10.31235/osf... #Demography #Sociology #EconSky

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 24/02/2026

New paper out looking at financial assets and cardiometabolic risk among women and men in the AddHealth data: authors.elsevier.com/c/1mgBn_6KUS...

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 17/02/2026

While most people prefer equal inheritance, wealthy individuals are more willing to support unequal transfers when they help preserve wealth across generations ➡️ based on new experimental evidence now published with @natrinh.bsky.social and @dariatisch.bsky.social in @sfjournal.bsky.social

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 08/12/2025

I think this figure is very convincing in terms of causality. From this paper: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 15/10/2025

One pathway through which childhood exposure to local wealth inequality might influence upward mobility of low-income kids is through its association with educational outcomes.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 15/10/2025

Simulation exercises suggest that childhood exposure to local wealth inequality is more central to upward mobility than exposure to local income inequality itself.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 15/10/2025

Combining wealth estimates from geowealth-us and mobility data from opportunity insights, I demonstrate a negative association between childhood exposure to wealth inequality and upward income mobility outcomes later in life.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 15/10/2025

Is childhood exposure to local wealth inequality associated with upward income mobility achieved in adulthood? Yes! Check out my new paper, just published in @natureportfolio.nature.com here: doi.org/10.1038/s414... #EconSky #Sociology #Demography

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 01/10/2025

I am organizing session 711 Wealth Inequality: International Comparative Perspectives at PAA 2026. Deadline for submissions is Oct 5th. Non-comparative papers on wealth inequality are also welcome.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 16/07/2025

This is based on the geowealth-us data (www.nature.com/articles/s41...) and the state democracy index (democracypolicylab.berkeley.edu/state-democr...)

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 16/07/2025

⚠️ New timely WP ⚠️ Rising wealth inequality and democratic backsliding at the US state-level #EconSky #Sociology #PolicySky @stone-lis.bsky.social WP here: doi.org/10.31235/osf...

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 22/04/2025

Very happy to announce I received the University of Michigan Stone Center for Inequality Dynamics visiting fellowship 2025-2026! I am looking forward to be a part of the community @umichstonecid.bsky.social inequality.umich.edu/25-26-visiti...

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 03/03/2025

🚨Now published in issue 🚨 What happens to female labor market supply when their male partner starts to earn payroll tax exempt income? Joint work w/ @andreashaupt.bsky.social, now open access at JMF: doi.org/10.1111/jomf... #sociology #gendersky #polisky #econsky

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 09/12/2024

🚨New publication alert🚨 What happens to female labor market supply when their male partner starts to earn payroll tax exempt income? Joint work w/ @andreashaupt.bsky.social, now open access at JMF: doi.org/10.1111/jomf... #sociology #gendersky #polisky #econsky

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 06/09/2024

In their 2019 paper, Chetty et al find a gap in economic mobility between Black and White males. @rourkeobrien.bsky.social & I show that municipal police is a key explanation for why we observe a racial mobility gap for males (but not females). #Sociology #EconSky doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2024.100981

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 31/07/2024

🚨New paper alert 🚨 This paper is a cautionary note for those interested in wealth-income inequality correlates across countries: Don't forget about the role of public redistribution! Published OA in Socius, joint work with @norawaitkus.bsky.social. #Sociology #Polisky doi.org/10.1177/2378...

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 21/03/2024

🚨New WP Altert 🚨 Low-income children growing up in CZs with higher wealth inequality achieve lower incomes in adulthood compared to their peers growing up in CZs with lower wealth inequality: doi.org/10.31219/osf... EconSky PoliSky Sociology

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 07/03/2024

Thrilled to announce that I am joining UNC-Chapel Hill this fall as Assistant Professor of Public Policy! Many thanks to @stone-lis.bsky.social and everyone who helped me get there.

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 19/11/2023

Quick look at the UK inheritance tax discussion using the wealthproject.gc.cuny.edu/EIG/ In 2021, the UK raised 0,78% of total tax revenue from inheritance and gifts vs 1,65% in France (in the 1960s, the UK collected over 2,66%!). The UK annually collects about $12 Billion less than France. #EconSky

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 09/11/2023

Join me at @appam.bsky.social on Saturday 13.45 for my presentation on the payroll tax contribution limit and married women's labor market outcomes! Session on women's agency. Also happy to meet anyone interested throughout the conference! #GenderSky #Sociology #EconSky #PoliSky

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 25/10/2023

'Fiscal Impoverishment in Rich Democracies', joint work with @rourkeobrien.bsky.social, now published in @sfjournal.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1093/sf/s... We invert standard analyses of welfare state policy and poverty by focusing not on poverty alleviation but creation. #Polisky #EconSky #Sociology

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 25/09/2023

Visualizing the evolution of estate and inheritance tax exemptions over time. What an insane development! #EconSky and #Polisci, check our interactive website with many other features here: wealthproject.gc.cuny.edu/EIG/graphs/#...

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Manuel Schechtl @schechtlm.eurosky.social · 20/09/2023

Favorite figures time? From my Socio-Economic Review paper with Daria Tisch from earlier this year (here: doi.org/10.1093/ser/...) showing how support for a wealth tax drops dramatically among wealthy! #sociology #polisci

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