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"The topic of inequality is open to very different reference points, whether comparing oneself to the super-rich or to migrants. Therefore, it is quite popular as a narrative across party lines, but with varying interpretations or different party-political hues," explains Marius R. Busemeyer. In the Konstanz Inequality Barometer, a regular and large-scale survey, Busemeyer and his team find that the subjective perception of inequality is growing, leading to a generally pessimistic mood among the population. This has implications for the political preferences of citizens in Germany, with increasing support for right-wing populist parties: "And I believe we now have a kind of negative spiral, where political actors [...] benefit from this negative framing. [...] And it [is] very difficult to break through with positive messages," explains the Konstanz political scientist.

In the "Cicero Podcast Wissenschaft" of the magazine "Cicero – Magazin für politische Kultur", individuals from society, politics, economy, culture, and science discuss current topics with the editorial team once a week. Marius R. Busemeyer was in conversation with Axel Meyer (University of Konstanz) and Michael Sommer (University of Oldenburg).