I recently saw a report on real income growth in Russia. American capitalism is not alone in favoring the top over the middle and bottom of the socioeconomic order. In Russia, from 1989 to 2018, income for the top 1% grew 429% and for the top 10% by 171%, but for the bottom 50%, income shrank 20%.
Overall growth in income was 41%.
Political power everywhere is fungible with money and power. One breeds the other.