The only issue will be how this topic is addressed. What is the root cause of inequality? There will be disputes over this with liberal-ish Democrats more likely to blame outside factors and conservative-ish Republicans saying that a lack of individual initiative - probably exacerbated by misguided government programs - are the root cause.
Their relative solutions to the problem are bound to differ - and this difference will very likely (in my opinion) negate the passage/adoption of any actual policy proposals. But I could be wrong.
Poll numbers suggest that issue has legs
The partisan breakdown:
Numbers over recent history:
The bottom line according to the Gallup Poll:
Obama will almost certainly touch on inequality in his State of the Union address on Jan. 28. This will certainly resonate in a general sense with the majority of Americans who are dissatisfied with income and wealth distribution in the U.S. today. Members of the president's party agree most strongly with the president that this is an issue, but majorities of Republicans and independents are at least somewhat dissatisfied as well.
Although Americans are more likely to be satisfied with the opportunity for people to get ahead through hard work, their satisfaction is well below where it was before the economic downturn. Accordingly, improvement in the U.S. economy could bring Americans' views back to pre-recession levels.
