Keiry Gil
Professor Horn
English 0701
28 November 2017 Inequality in America
Income inequality has been deeply affecting the economy and our society for decades. The socioeconomic inequality gap in the United States has been getting higher and higher since the late 1970s, creating more unequal opportunities for millions of people in the lower and middle classes. It seems as if the lower class families are getting crushed, while the top 1% are on top, jumping up and down, crushing them more and more. The system makes it hard for those that coming from poor income families to succeed; From it being difficult to get higher education to receiving no healthcare. The middle class are the top consumers and the heart of this economy and yet they are getting robbed out of their rights. In the article “Confronting Inequality”, author Paul Krugman explains how and why a big gap between the wages of the top 1% and the middle class is such a huge problem for the economy. He believes that this inequality will affect the standard of living for the middle class. Another scholar who shares a similar view and may agree with this statement is former Labor Secretary, Robert Reich. In his documentary, Inequality for All, like Krugman, Reich discusses his beliefs and knowledge about how the unequal distribution of wealth between classes is affecting the economy greatly. On contrary to Krugman and Reich’s views on the downside effects of income inequality in the economy, in “The Upside of
Income inequality is one of the greatest problems facing the United States today. It is important for everyone to understand what this means and why this is a problem.
Without realizing it, most of us live in a bubble. This impermeable layer makes us oblivious to what's going on in the world and ignorant to the truth. The media is powerful, but there is a huge difference between seeing something, and experiencing it in person. After 17 years of living in that bubble, I finally popped it and opened my eyes to a world I had never felt before. Colombia, like many developing nations, faces rampant income inequality that acts as a huge barrier for the country to make a leap towards economic prosperity. But to truly understand this great monster in our world called "income inequality", you have to experience both extreme living conditions. And during the summer, I was able to do just that. In 24 hours. With an
“Inequality in the United States has prevailed on all levels, be it the justice and legal system, or the social class. This inequality is not only the basis of discrimination, but also encourages the increase in criminalization.”
As an American, we revel in our freedoms. Not everything is free, however, we have laws that were created for safety. They help keep everyone happy, alive and well. The foundation for these laws came from the founding fathers; they wished for Americans alive then, alive now, and alive years from now feeling safe and free. However, there are fatal flaws in the documents created by the founding fathers. These documents are not effective in establishing and preserving freedoms of Americans because they confined the definition of a valued American to white males as well as allowed the means of corruption to enter our laws through lack of rigidity.
Economic inequality has been a problem in the United States for a long time now, and is only getting worse as the years go by. Some people may not notice, but data researched by economist and UC Berkeley professor Robert Reich proves it. We all need to start noticing how bad our economy is becoming and make actions to make it better again before it becomes too late. Some questions that need to be answered is: how much inequality can we tolerate? And when does it actually become a problem?
Income inequality has been a progressively growing issue in the United States, even today. The problem dates back all the way to the Great Depression, although some researchers tend to think that it is older than that. The difference between the wealth of higher-income families and lower-income families has become a great issue. Many people, including our government, think that they know how they can fix it. They have tried time and time again to come up with solutions, yet we are still facing the same obstacle that we were almost one hundred years ago. The effects that this dilemma is setting forth for our United States’ economy, environment, and even our education is repulsing.
The problem of income inequality is one that is very prevalent in this time in America. The disparity of wealth in this country is very vast and a growing problem. These problems of income inequality are taking away peoples aspect human dignity, this is a major moral issue because everyone is entitled to human dignity and when it is taken away from them that is moral wrong. Additionally this is an issue in which the Church is very involved in. Additionally President Obama in his State of the Union Address back in January also made note of the problems in the nation with regards to income inequality and the minimum wage. The United States Catholic Conference
Social inequality exists in the United States through the Elite’s power to maintain their dominance in the United States capitalist system. The Elite Ruling class is made of the upper class and this class of individuals share similar ideology and are the members of the United State’s Superstructure. The Elite Ruling Class members of society are the decision and policy makers in the United States. Research and history has proven that many policies and decisions made by the Elite Ruling Class serve their own interest and promote their ideas. These decisions are the source of the inequality in the United States and it contributes to their ability to maintain their dominant status. The inequality is trickled down to the other classes through social policy and social institutions that affect our lives everyday citizens. A major example of this social inequality can be seen in the United States housing market or home ownership. A significant amount of studies, statics and data supports the evidence of social inequality within the US housing market or home ownership. The following passages will discuss social inequality in the United States as it is connected to Karl Marx’s theory of capitalism’s power and influence of the Elite Dominant i.e. the Ruling Class view as it relates to homeownership within the United States. Karl Marx’s theory however focuses mostly on economic s and the difference between upper and lower class not race. It is also important to point out that the Elite
Income inequality in the United States has been increasing gradually as from the 20th century where there was economic stability. It is estimated that around a quarter of the American worker population receives not more than $10 in an hour. Through this condition, it creates an income that is below what the federal poverty level demands. Those who receive low income include the fast food employees, cashiers, nurse's aides and many more. Other individuals get good payments which are above $10 per hour. Wealth inequality in America is quite common as there are those who are the major economic block and those who can’t afford even the three meals in a day. The social issues that income and wealth inequality might cause in the United States include poverty, household debts becoming high, high crime rates, no health insurance for the low-income families, high mobility rates, high crime rates and school dropouts.
In Robert Reich documentary “Inequality for All” he makes a compelling discussion about the serious crises that the United States faces due the widening economic gap. He looks to raise awareness of the U.S. economic gap between the rich and poor. According to Reich the widening divide in America is real and growing. Income levels at the middle and labor class is stagnant and are at it’s lowest levels compared to upper class incomes since the beginning of WWII and is growing wider each year. Reich suggests that the economy runs more smoothly when the middle class has jobs with fair wages, when unions are strong, and when middle class workers have some extra money to spend if possible when the government uses the tax policy properly and when it raises the minimum wage regularly to control the income gap between labor and management. In other words Reich argues that economically healthy middle and labor class equality is the foundation of a thriving economy and is necessary to maintaining a sound national infrastructure and educational system within
(1) The question of economic and social mobility is important to the question of inequality because less economic and social mobility is an indicator of inequality. Unequal access to resources for children in their formative years, affordable higher education, private business ownership, and inheritances all perpetuate weak economic and social mobility.
Therefore, in order to make the American Dream achievable to everyone, income wages must increase for those in the lower class and government welfare should be provided to all Americans in order to increase the opportunity of social mobility. Though income inequality may seem as an inevitable issue that just happens to plague many Americans who choose to work in blue collar jobs, current economic inequality is more realistically the result of unfair economic policies that threaten to worsen if they are not immediately addressed. The poor conditions of the workers who work for long hours with little pay demonstrate that America is at a crucial point, and that without immediate action, the country will continue to plunge further downward into
I agree that America does deal with distinctions all over the country ranging from all including education, race, religion, and gender. America is the ‘Land of the free’. Every woman, man, a child has the human right to freedom from any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on gender, race, color, national or ethnic origin, language, religion, political or another opinion, age or any other status. Which has the purpose or effect or impairing the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms it’s true that everyone in the community should understand many things. But not everyone would like to understand anything that deals with race, religion, gender and race, especially when it comes to race. I also agree when
People can not put on the news without seeing at least one story about social inequality or injustice, if everyone knows about these inequities why are they not being solved? Inequities are not limited to America, social inequity is a global problem making it extremely important to raise awareness of the topic. Inequities such as racism and sexism impact teenagers in America, but to counteract this persecution authors can use various genres of literature to promote tolerance and reduce the effects of inequities. Racism and sexism violates people’s rights in schools, the workplace, and almost every place in the world. Through the words of authors, society can learn the harmful effects of these inequities, and learn how
The subject of equity has ascertained that the economic prowess of a nation is insufficient as a measure of progress. The United States is among the worst in the matter of wealth distribution, and yet it is one of the world’s leading economies. The inequality situation has been worsening over the years and has been a keen campaign theme for the liberals in the American politics. The nation has thrived economically since the 1980s, and the levels of inequality have grown over the same period. The government through its public policies is a key factor in the growth of the economy as well as the level of inequality. The capitalistic market in the US is vital in the economic prowess of the economy. The key failure of the capitalistic market lies