Experiment of the States - Part 3: Movin' On Up

This is a continuation of the "Experiment of the States" series.  The significance and purpose of this type of data analysis is explained here.

Part 3 of this study will focus on a highly talked about topic now-a-days: social mobility and income distribution. 

First, I thought it was interesting that states with large amounts of residents labeled as “top wealth holders in the nation” are much more likely to be liberal. The chart below is comparing the 2004 number of top wealth holders (net worth of over 1.5 million dollars) to the 2009 Gallup poll on the states’ ideologies. I know the years don’t match perfectly on this comparison, but these were the best numbers I could find easily available. And it’s also important to know that the states’ ideologies do not change very drastically over the years, so this relationship should prove to be reliable. 

Now on to the social mobility... You may want to read up on PEW’s report to understand their methodology a little more. It’s basically a rating for how easy it is for people to move up or down in income brackets. With that said, you might find the chart below a little interesting. The data in this chart is all from 2012. 

You’ll notice that the upward mobility goes up as a state becomes more liberal, and the downward mobility goes down. I know what you’re thinking already… “That’s a good thing, right?”  Well, you tell me… Take a look at the hypothetical graph below, and then think about it again. Keep in mind that with these different distributions, there are a few things that you should think about. What is the standard and cost of living? What social classes have the power? Does power come with numbers or money? How will the two extreme social classes (high vs low income) interact? It may not be as clear as you thought.

Sources:

United States’ Census Bureau record of Top Wealth Holders With Net Worth $1.5 Million or More--Number and Net Worth by State: 2004. "The 2012 Statistical Abstract: Wealth". http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/income_expenditures_poverty_wealth/wealth.html(accessed on October 28, 2012). 

Gallup record of Total Conservative and Total Liberal Populations. Published on August 14, 2009. "'Conservative' Label Prevails in the South" by Lydia Saad. http://www.gallup.com/poll/122333/Political-Ideology-Conservative-Label-Prevails-South.aspx#1(accessed on October 31, 2012). 

Gallup record of Total Conservative and Total Liberal Populations. Published on February 3, 2012. "Mississippi Most Conservative State, D.C. Most Liberal" by Frank Newport. http://www.gallup.com/poll/152459/mississippi-conservative-state-liberal.aspx#1(accessed on October 31, 2012). 

PEW record of Relative Upward Mobility and Relative Downward Mobility. Published on May 10, 2012. "Economic Mobility of the States". http://www.pewstates.org/research/data-visualizations/economic-mobility-of-the-states-interactive-85899381539(accessed on October 31, 2012).