With industrialized economies entering the postindustrial age, key issues in domestic politics are shifting their focus from materialism to postmaterialism. The "materialistic" issues include economic growth, income redistribution, welfare, employment, industrial development and international trade. Among the "postmaterialistic" issues are education, medicine, environment, consumer protection, gender equality and immigration.
This shift in priorities is a common trend in the affluent societies of the industrialized world. After all, the human desires for money and goods have rather modest limits. Once these desires are satisfied, man will begin to look for things that have nothing to do with money, or things that money cannot buy.
Acquisitive tendencies are generally more pronounced in poorer societies where money and goods are harder to come by. In richer societies where most people are decently fed, clothed and sheltered, desires for material acquisition are not as conspicuous, except for some money-driven people.