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*Represents equal contributionsWord Count: 3,815 (out of 5,000)

Poor White Americans report feeling “worse off” than poor Black Americans despite the persistent negative effects of racism on Black Americans. Additionally, some health issues are rising among White but not Black Americans. Across two representative samples, we test whether White = wealthy stereotypes lead White Americans to feel relatively worse off than their racial group and whether these perceptions have health consequences. Across both samples, White Americans perceived their own status to be significantly lower than the status of the majority of White Americans. In contrast, Black Americans perceived their own status to be significantly higher than the majority of Black Americans. Critically, status comparisons between the self and one’s racial group predicted the experience of fewer positive emotions among White, but not Black, Americans, which mediated reduced mental and physical health. We conclude that race/class stereotypes may shape how poverty subjectively feels.

Economic inequality in the United States has reached historic levels—the highest since the Great Depression. Though people may argue over whether inequality is morally wrong or practically undesirable, the consensus seems to be clear: economic inequality is one of the greatest challenges facing the U.S. today. Yet, concern for economic inequality has not seemed to translate into solution‐oriented political participation. While acknowledging the complex and multifaceted nature of this issue, the current article explores one particular factor that may help to illuminate the relationship between economic inequality and political behavior, namely socioeconomic status (SES). We propose that both the context of economic inequality and one's position within the socioeconomic hierarchy shape political attitudes and behavior. That is, economic inequality influences political action, but the strength and direction of this influence may depend on the individual's SES. Throughout this article, we highlight the importance of understanding both the objective situation of inequality and an individual's SES, as well as that individual's subjective perceptions of inequality and personal SES. We also underscore the importance of applying a multidisciplinary approach, and in particular a social psychological perspective, to the current research.

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