American society is riven by deep economic and social divisions, including poverty rates and inequities in the distribution of wealth and income that are among the highest of any developed nation. As of late 2017, the richest one percent of Americans owned 40 percent of the nation’s wealth, the highest figure in over a half century. Research shows that Americans underestimate the degree of wealth inequality in the US and would prefer a more egalitarian distribution. However, many current and proposed laws and policies work against these goals. Wealth inequality raises questions about core ethical commitments related to the common good, including equality of opportunity, the ability to meet basic needs, and human dignity. Despite its impact on most Americans, and evidence that economic inequality is increasing in recent years, the public debate about these issues has been muted. Similarly, policies and programs to reduce poverty have received little attention in mainstream political debates and the media. We believe that the common good will be best served by greater access to high quality information about economic inequities, critical ethical analysis of the harms caused by poverty and wealth inequity, and an inclusive public debate about the reasons for these problems and effective ways to address them.