It may well be true, as the familiar biblical quote states, that the poor will always be with us. But that’s no excuse for failing to recognize and address the problems of poverty.
One such problem, often overlooked, is the effect that extreme inequality of income among a country’s residents can have on its political system.
Many studies over the years show a clear correlation between high poverty rates and political instability of countries.
One such recent study, the World Inequality Report 2026 (https://wid. world/news-article/world-inequalityreport- 2026-inequality-persist-at-avery- extreme-level), says that “global income inequality remains at very high levels” and “warns that such concentration risks undermining democratic accountability and social cohesion.”
In plain English, when a person is very poor, sees no hope of improving life for himself and his family, he often blames the wealthier “elites” of the country and those who wield political power (typically the same people).
The government of his country, he reasons, should help those (like him) who work hard and obey laws but can’t get ahead financially, rather than throwing its weight on the side of those who already have wealth and power but may cut corners legally to maintain their advantage.
If he sees his government favoring other, wealthier people but not him, and resisting his lawful efforts to change its behavior, he may decide to try to overthrow that government.
Several Latin American countries and some in the Middle East and Africa have been prone to political upheavals over the years, especially those just venturing into self-government after leaving more authoritarian forms of governance.
The United States and other older democracies were thought, at least until fairly recently, to be less vulnerable to civil unrest than were countries with less wealth and with less tradition of democracy.
But with the election (twice) of Donald Trump— who routinely attacks the free press, threatens to jail his political opponents, and expresses disdain for democratic norms—our country’s likelihood of stability has become more questionable.
One way he undermines this democracy is by questioning the fairness of our elections. He still insists that the 2020 election, which he clearly lost to Joe Biden, was “rigged.”
It’s important to note that he can produce no real evidence that the election wasn’t fair. Although he filed more than 60 lawsuits challenging results of the election in various jurisdictions, he lost them all (Kinsey Crowley, “Trump Continues to Claim 2020 Election Fraud. He Lost over 60 Court Cases,” www. usatoday.com, 7/16/26).
He apparently isn’t satisfied with the two wins that he was legitimately awarded (2016 and 2024). The one loss seems to eat at him.
One of the norms (as well as the Emoluments Clauses of the U. S. Constitution) that Trump ignores or disobeys is the rule against profiting financially off the Presidency. The U. S. Constitution clearly states that he is to receive no monies other than his salary while he’s President, either from foreign or domestic sources.
He regularly violates this prohibition, just as he flouts other laws and traditions. The website https:// oversightdemocrats.house. gov/trump-family-corruption- tracker regularly keeps track of Trump’s ill-gotten gains, and at this writing he has profited by well over $2 billion. That’s “billion” with a “b.”
Those of us who love democracy need to be very vigilant during the months until the 2026 election. The United States of America is far from perfect, but it’s the world’s oldest democracy for good reason.
We’ve made it for 250 years so far, through economic depression, civil war, and multiple conflicts both here and abroad.
In 2026, we must rekindle that same “spirit of ’76” that led us to establish this free and independent country, with no king and with minimal government interference in our individual lives.
There are forces pushing against us, to try to stop our continuance as a democracy, and one of those powerful forces is inequality of income.
Wanting our fellow citizens to all prosper financially isn’t just a matter of generosity to others. It can help our democracy prosper as well.