Opportunity hoarding has drawn more attention in recent years, especially after the 2019 Varsity Blues scandal, where wealthy parents used money and influence to get their children into elite universities illegally.
While that case is an extreme example, a recent study from Northwestern University suggests these behaviors are part of a broader pattern where high-income families gain advantages, often at the expense of lower-income families. A key driver of this is the belief in “the American dream.”
Shaping success
The study highlights how parents, who play a central role in shaping their children’s access to resources, use their privilege to secure opportunities and hoard resources. It also examines how the idea that anyone can “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” influences whether parents see hoarding as acceptable.
“Whether it’s bribing a college official or using connections to get a prestigious internship, opportunity hoarding worsens inequality and challenges America’s ideals,” the researchers say. “Our study shows what motivates people to engage in this behavior, which can help us spot when it’s most likely and how to prevent it.”
The study identifies two key forms of opportunity hoarding: opposing policies that would help lower-income families, like funding schools in poorer areas, and behaviors that give their children an unfair edge, such as allowing them to misrepresent themselves on college applications.
The leg up
The researchers surveyed over 1,500 American parents and found that those who strongly believed in the American dream were more likely to support policies and behaviors that gave their children an advantage, even if it hurt others. Wealthy parents, in particular, were 17% more likely to see resource hoarding as acceptable if they believed in upward mobility. Lower-income parents, even if they believed in the American dream, were less likely to support hoarding.
In a follow-up experiment, the researchers showed over 1,000 parents two different videos about the U.S. economy. One video focused on upward mobility, while the other emphasized downward mobility. Surprisingly, it was the more optimistic video about upward mobility that led affluent parents to engage in opportunity hoarding, suggesting that the idea of others climbing the ladder threatens their sense of privilege.
Parents from both high- and low-income backgrounds who didn’t believe in the American dream were less likely to see hoarding as acceptable. This suggests that believing in upward mobility may, ironically, encourage inequality rather than reduce it.
By understanding what shapes parental behavior, we can better address the roots of inequality in today’s society. The researchers hope their findings will help policymakers understand the factors driving rising economic inequality.
Although the study focused on blatant examples of hoarding, the researchers note that it also happens in subtler ways, like wealthy families hiring SAT tutors, which further reinforces inequality. Going forward, the team plans to explore how to reduce the threat of upward mobility for wealthy parents, encouraging fairer opportunities in education and the economy.
