Editing Thorstein Veblen (section)

====Assessment of the rich====
Veblen expanded upon [[Adam Smith]]'s [[The Wealth of Nations|assessment of the rich]], stating that "[t]he leisure class used charitable activities as one of the ultimate benchmarks of the highest standard of living."<ref name=":1" /> Veblen insinuates that the way to convince those who have money to share is to have them receive something in return. [[Behavioral economics]] also reveals that [[Reward anticipation|rewards]] and [[incentive]]s are very important aspects of every-day [[Decision-making|decision making]]. When the rich shift their mindset from feeling as though they are forced to give their hard-earned money to feeling pride and honor from giving to charitable organizations there is benefit for every party involved. In ''[[The Theory of the Leisure Class]]'' (1899), Veblen referred to communities without a leisure class as "non-predatory communities," and stated that "[t]he accumulation of wealth at the upper end of the [[pecuniary]] scale implies privation at the lower end of the scale." Veblen believed that inequality was natural, and that it gave housewives something to focus their energy on. The members of the leisure class planning events and parties did not actually help anyone in the long run, according to Veblen.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|doi=10.1080/00213624.1998.11506049|jstor=4227319|title=Poverty and Charity: Early Analytical Conflicts between Institutional Economics and Neoclassicism|year=1998|last1=Ganley|first1=William T.|journal=Journal of Economic Issues|volume=32|issue=2|pages=433–440}}</ref>