Daniel WaldenströmSummarized from his original essay in Human ProgressWaldenström is a professor of economics at the Research Institute of Industrial Economics and author of Richer and More Equal: A New History of Wealth in the West.Despite frequent headlines suggesting that inequality in the West is spiraling out of control, economist Daniel Waldenström argues that the full picture is far more balanced—and even optimistic.In his essay, Waldenström challenges the dominant narrative that the rich are getting richer while the rest stagnate. While concerns over housing costs, growing tech fortunes, and uneven access to services are real, he suggests these perceptions often stem from incomplete or misleading data. To craft effective economic policy, he says, we must start
