Income and wealth have become increasingly important and sometimes polarizing topics of conversation across the political spectrum. While it is essential for decision-makers to have real measures of things like savings, investments, and home ownership, it’s also important to understand that people's perceptions of wealth have a powerful influence on their economic and political decisions.

NORC researchers are adept at exploring both the reality and perception of wealth. The General Social Survey includes questions on topics such as wealth, income, and identity. Since 1992, NORC has conducted the triennial Survey of Consumer Finances, the only fully representative source of information on the financial state of American households. NORC’s Survey of Economically Successful Americans examines the social, political, and economic views of people whose wealth exceeds $40 million. Internationally, NORC collects data on the investment and financial decisions of Spanish households for the Bank of Spain.