> You think the distribution of living standards across a population could be a matter of social norms? How?

Taxation and social programs:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redistribution_of_income_and_w...

People choose to vote for / elect people who are willing to implement various policies to achieve it. What is acceptable to the population is (partly?) determined by the norms of that population and society, and the acceptance of various ideas will determine what politicians will campaign for.

But that's economic policy, even if it is at least in part driven by social norms.

> But that's economic policy, even if it is at least in part driven by social norms.

Social norms come first, and they determine which economic policies you are willing to even consider (and then implement or not).

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window

Japan's economic system was crafted in post-war reconstruction by General MacArthur. It's literally the furthest you can get from "social norms precede policy."

> Japan's economic system was crafted in post-war reconstruction by General MacArthur.

Japan's economic system has been under Japanese control and self-determined (for both good and ill) for decades:

* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16144575-how-asia-works