The Political Economy of Wealth
Conference
- Start: Nov 22, 2023
- End: Nov 23, 2023
- Location: Cologne

In relation to the former question, the conference focuses on what
research has shown to be key determinants for top-end wealth inequality.
This includes the relationship between large fortunes and political
power; the politics of taxation; and the size and power of the wealth
defense industry, notably asset managers and global accountancy firms.
At the same time, despite its highly unequal distribution, wealth also
impacts the political preferences of the middle classes. Here, we are
interested in the effects of asset ownership, notably of housing and
retirement assets, on households’ perceptions of inequality, political
preferences, and electoral behavior. Finally, the conference addresses
the question of how wealth concentration changes societies over the
medium- to long term. What is the relevance of oligarchic ownership
structures in politically important sectors, such as the media? How does
this vary between liberal-democratic and authoritarian political
systems? Here, broader historical and theoretical reflections can make
an important contribution. How can we conceptualize societies in which
wealth, and therefore opportunity and life outcomes, are highly
unequally distributed, often across generations? Populist revolts, major
wars, a global pandemic, and a dramatic escalation of the climate
crisis – the decade since the publication of Thomas Piketty’s Le capital
au XXI siècle has seen more of Walter Scheidel’s four horsemen than
almost anyone would have predicted. And yet, r has remained greater than
g, and the concentration of wealth has continued largely unabated. How
do we explain this pattern? And should we expect it to last, or are the
return of inflation and the rise of interest rates harbingers of a
regime shift? In order to answer these (big) questions, which invariably
lead into interdisciplinary territory, this conference brings together
leading scholars on the political economy of wealth from various
disciplines. The conference is organized by Jens Beckert and Benjamin
Braun.