An online presentation by Eunji Kim (Vanderbilt University). This event is part of the Political Economy Lunch Seminar (PELS).
Americans have long believed in upward mobility and the narrative of the American Dream. Even in the face of rising income inequality and substantial empirical evidence that economic mobility has declined in recent decades, many Americans remain convinced of the prospects for upward mobility. What explains this disconnect? I argue that Americans’ media diet plays an important role in explaining this puzzle. Specifically, contemporary Americans are watching a record number of entertainment TV programs that emphasize “rags-to-riches” narratives. I demonstrate that such shows have become a ubiquitous part of the media landscape over the last two decades. National surveys as well as online and lab-in-the-field experiments show that exposure to these programs increases viewers’ beliefs in the American Dream and promotes internal attributions of wealth. Media exemplars present in what Americans are watching instead of news can powerfully distort economic perceptions and have important implications for public preferences for redistribution.
The Political Economy Lunch Seminar offers an informal setting for Hertie School scholars and external speakers to present works in progress. Meetings are catered and last for only an hour. Seminars during the spring semester 2021 will take place exclusively online. Please send an email to Dayna Sadow (sadow[at]hertie-school[dot]org) or use the registration form on the individual event pages to receive a link; those who are currently on the distribution list will receive the link automatically by email. The seminar is hosted weekly during the semester at the Hertie School in Berlin. The upcoming events in the series are listed on this page and in the main events calendar. To explore past events click on the past events button.
