Equality: Inequality In The United States

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.

Vermont Senator and presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, said it best when he said “A nation will not serve morally or economically when so few have so much, and so many have so little.” This quote perfectly describes the issue that The United States is currently dealing with: income inequality. Income inequality is the gap between how much money is made by the rich and everyone else in the nation. It also refers to the unequal distribution of wealth among people in a population. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the gross domestic product (GDP) in the United States has steadily been rising, making it seem as though economic growth is stable (Inequality for All). However, it does not take into account the increasingly widening gap between the 1% and the 99% of the nation’s population. Government officials should pay closer attention to income inequality in The United States because ignoring the issue ultimately hurts American citizens.

In all economies, in all times, and in all places, there has been inequality. Sometimes it has been in the form of forced and immobile classes and sometimes the disparities have been the result of forces outside of the population’s control. There have been those who conquered and those who were conquered. History documents early civilizations organizing class systems within each new civilization. It is human nature to organize in this way. There have always been those who have more and those who have less. Yet, that does not make it okay for those suffering in our lower classes. It does not make it okay for those forced into this lower class who are unable to rise above it. The attitude toward those in the lower classes can be improved upon. There are many who believe that there are “plenty of jobs available for poor people, that government programs breed dependency and that most poor people would prefer to stay on welfare” (Lauter). The standard of living needs to be raised so that the impoverished people in America continue to be richer than those

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.

If so then why is there something known as inequality! As was stated before there are two sides to inequality, whether it is positive nor even negative. One of the major positive things coming from inequality involves the idea that it is something that gives a person an urge with the incentive of working hard to get to where they want to be. If they don't make as much money as they would like to, they will definitely be a lot more motivated to work a lot harder in order to achieve that goal of theirs. Those are the type of people who we want running our world, whether it is from being our next doctor to even becoming the next president. It is quite different for everyone, a beautiful blond with rich parents would definitely have a different experience than someone who migrated from Mexico. Even though it may be easier for that beautiful woman to become successful, that does not mean success is impossible for that one person who came to the United States for a better future. All it would take would be hard work and dedication and anything is possible, for anyone even though the world may think otherwise. This is only one of the few positive incomes of inequality, but there are definitely more negatives than positives when it comes to this

(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.

One of the main topics discussed during this political science course is the political and economic inequality that has recently risen to staggering levels in the United States. Although political and economic inequality seem to be some of the most pressing issues we face today, little has been done to close the gap between the middle and upper classes. By looking at how our government and society behaves, one can see why the inequality barrier is such a difficult obstacle to overcome. Politicians may be more focused on staying in the good favor of their party than their people, but they are still elected by the majority. If more citizens took a more proactive approach to politics, social movements would be more successful and more balance would be brought to the political spectrum; however, money, powerful officials, and a general lack of interest prevent the government from maintaining a system that benefits everyone equally.

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

Is the standard American adage of “if you just work hard enough, you’ll be rich” still true?

Instead, it tacitly insists that inequality is the price we pay for growth. The fact is that almost all American adults need to work -- those with children, those without. Many work two jobs, with no hope for a raise or promotion of any kind, because employers are too greedy. Many are one illness, or car breakdown, away from homelessness. Poverty robs not only your pocket book but also your mind and your spirit. Poverty also keeps a person isolated and lonely and sometimes bored. Also we live in a society that requires money. Monetarily poor don't have money so add being on punishment to the list of ills a monetarily poor person suffers. Even working people with health insurance can be thrown into poverty. Health care costs, premiums, deductibles,

The OECD says that since the mid- 1990s more than half of all jobs created in the member states has been in non-standard work. According to the members, households that depend on such work have higher poverty rate than other household and that this has led to greater inequality. In 34 states is says that 10% of the population earn 9.6 times the income of the poorest 10%. Some believe it’s because of the wide gap in education. It is happening in the most unequal countries, which leads to leads effective workforce. There is no difference in inequality but some studies showed that it slowed down during the financial crisis and now it is growing again.

The United States was built on the foundation of freedom and equality for all, and it prides itself in the idea that everyone is treated equally and has the same opportunity for success. However, this equality has continuously proven to simply be an idea as it has not been practiced since the birth of the country. The reality is that the United States is a country that was actually constructed by inequality and injustice. The land itself was taken from the Native Americans and the hard labor needed to build the country was done by African slaves. The group to enjoy the freedoms and liberties has been white Americans and they are at the top of the social hierarchy and have access to all the privileges and mobility, yet this fact is unremittingly

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (Declaration)” The nation created by immigrants proclaimed its Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on July 4th, 1776. Overtime, the United States have developed into a more powerful nation among the world. However, despite its many accomplishments, the United States continues to be far from perfect. Problems such as rights, equality, and identity continue to plague the nation in developing to its fullest potential. Robert Reich, Martin Luther King Jr., and Michael Walzer illustrate issues that continue to be relevant today—impending

When people have imbalanced access to work, housing, healthcare, ownership, education, et cetera, inequality is present. Inequality affects everyone in the world and comes from people’s fears of one another and other people’s opinions.

Inequality is ubiquity in our world, most people are looking at the downside or the surface of this phenomenon. In fact, that inequality is the drive of historical and social progress.