The link between income inequality and both violent and property crime is well established, as low levels of trust in highly unequal countries correlates higher income inequality to high homicide rates (O10). Disadvantaged members of a society are likely to suffer from frustration and resentment, which fosters hostility as a result of their economic position and blocked opportunities. The bitterness held by low socio-economic individuals result in a higher tendency towards criminal behaviour (OO5). Income inequality also increases the incentive to commit crimes, as fewer methods of lawfully obtaining resources are available for large numbers. Limited employment opportunities caused by an unequal economy encourages young people to find unacceptable and illegal means of sustaining themselves in a hostile environment. These illegal methods allow disadvantaged people to obtain material goods they would not have otherwise been able to secure through legitimate means (O12). The wide gap between the wealthy and middle class also tends to reduce law enforcement spending in low-income areas, which maximizes crime. Due to the fact that wealthy members of society favors secluded communities, these rich neighborhoods provide more funds for legal enforcement compared to their less affluent counterparts. This results in a less effective police force in numerous underprivileged …show more content…
However, many economists have discovered evidence of a negative correlation between sustained economic inequality and long-term growth rates (OO5). A high level of income inequality causes higher levels of poverty, which places huge burdens on the economy. Not only that, but the higher level of income inequality associates itself with a smaller increase of GDP per capita, which lessens the economic growth (O13). If the top 1 percent captures a large share of economic growth, the incomes of the 99 percentiles are likely to increase slower. Slower growth causes lower productivity and lower efficiency (OO7). Lowering the wage of a minimal-wage worker decreases their productivity noticeably. These workers see exaggerated executive pay to be unfair, which makes them feel less valued and subsides commitment (O10). As worker productivity diminishes with an unequal economy, so does consumer demand. Consumer demand is vital for economic growth, yet the wealthy spend a far smaller fraction of their income in comparison to the middle class. The large shares of income going towards those at the top contributes to the rising inequality that reduces customer demand because middle and lower class citizens are more important sources for customer (OO7). The widening gap of wealth also hinders economic growth by causing financial crisis through increasing debt and over consumption in an