According to an opinion survey, there is more conflict between rich and poor than between immigrants and the native-born or blacks and whites.
Americans believe that there is more conflict between rich and poor than between immigrants and the native-born or between blacks and whites, according to a Pew Research Center opinion survey released on Wednesday.
Researchers found 30% of Americans say there are "very strong conflicts" between the poor and the rich, which is the largest share expressing that opinion since the question was first asked in 1987, the Pew report said.
In all, 66% of respondents to the Pew survey said there are either "very strong" or "strong" conflicts between rich and poor. Democrats, younger adults, women and blacks were the most likely to say they perceived signs of class conflict, researchers found.
By comparison, 62% of Americans say immigrants and the native-born have strong conflicts with each other, compared with 47% in 2009, the Pew Center said. In the 2009 survey, more Americans believed there were conflicts over immigrants than over wealth.
The new survey suggested racial conflict is ebbing, with only 38% of respondents saying there are serious conflicts between blacks and whites, while 34% said such emnity exists between the young and the old.
The Pew Center said the results do not necessarily mean more Americans believe the wealthy are at fault for a class divide, since some individuals who see more conflict may believe anger at the wealthy is misdirected.
The Pew survey further found that 46% of Americans believe the rich got their wealth from knowing the right people or being born into the right families, while 43% said wealth came from hard work, ambition or education.
Pew, an independent research organization, said its report was based on findings from a telephone survey of 2,048 adults conducted from December 6 to December 19 and which had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9% points.
Income inequality promises to be an issue in this November's US presidential campaign. The Occupy Wall Street movement also has seized upon the issue.
The most recent US Census Bureau data shows the proportion of overall wealth held by the top 10% of the population rose to 56% in 2009 from 49% in 2005, the report noted.
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