Inequality In The United States: Documentary Analysis

The land of freedom, the United States, is the Promised Land for all. Its citizen can be much as prosperous as they want. Nonetheless, a phenomenon has occurred gradually that has changed the economy, social levels, income, and wealth of all Americans. This is called inequality. Inequality has become a social problem since people has not raised their voice take advantage of voting, large corporations as CEOs who take instead of give.

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.

Experiencing much greater income growth, wealthy Americans are much more able and willing to spend money. This has resulted in the collapse and struggle of many middle class businesses. Global competition, the recession, and increased dependency on technology have fueled the fire of economic inequality. In the past, the United States has approached the economic inequality issue in a multitude of ways, including implementation of welfare programs, the formation of labor unions, tax raises, and tax cuts. Many of these same premises and ideals are being echoed in today’s debate as politicians struggle with what to do about the current inequality crisis.

The study of inequality in America is vital to understanding the complicated political and social issues in America. Barrington, Illinois, my home town, is the picture of upper-middle class suburbia. It is a town with very little inequality, and very little diversity, but one which reveals some basic truths about inequality in America. One must first look at a snapshot of what Barrington socioeconomic structure is, then evaluate this structure through the theories of inequality. After these, and a quick evaluation of preconceived notions on Barrington’s inequality versus the real data, and a comparison of Barrington’s data to that of the United States as a whole, some conclusions can be drawn. These data reveal a strong correlation between Barrington’s lack of economic inequality, and lack of demographic and social diversity.

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 America has been a major issue for years. We can see the uneven distribution by comparing one of the world’s wealthiest man in Bill Gates to the average person. He has made over 50 billion dollars in his lifetime. Comparing him to the average person who makes 37 thousand dollars a year. Although, unemployment rate has decreased in the U.S, the gap between rich and poor in this country has dramatically increased. There are many contributions to the gap, such as different education levels among citizens, living conditions, taxes, difference between salaries, and more. Income inequality in the U.S needs to be addressed. This horrible problem in our country

In the United States, income inequality is obvious and widespread. Presidential candidates realize income inequality will be a major point of any presidential campaign. The major civil rights issue of today is income inequality. Such a large misdistribution of wealth has likened modern economics to slavery. Lower-income workers are forced to work longer hours at a stagnant wage to maintain consumption. On the other hand, to say that the super-rich are beyond fairly compensated is an understatement. The top 10 percent of wage earners received 48.2 percent of total earnings in 2012. The super-rich make the rules of the game (laws) favor the rich. Those with large wealth control the decisions that affect employment, wages, and benefits through

Right now the most important issue in America is the election inequality and how to narrow the gap between rich and poor. I think another issue is supporting small businesses. People fall to realize what that does for the economy these big companies do nothing but poor money into other countries. When we should be supporting our own. Big companies only care about the profit and the bottom line. No one actually cares about the people. The candidates seem like they wore picked from cereal box. Hilary Clinton lacks authenticity and Donald trump exudes racism and adding strain to inequality. The country already feels divided and the election makes it worse.

Today, America is considered one of the most developed and advanced country in the world. On top of everything, this promised country is well-known for its strong and effective economic free-market system. The foundation of the United States is based on the belief of freedom and equality, which is enjoyed and practiced by most of people in the “Country of Liberty.” Unfortunately, the idea of equality does not apply to every citizen of the U.S. In fact, the problem of inequality in America has remained a controversial issue for centuries. Specifically, today, the gap of wealth between people in the United States is dramatically increasing. Emmanuel Saez, an economics professor at UC-Berkeley states that: “Wealth inequality in exploding, constituting a direct threat to the cherished American ideals of meritocracy and opportunity.” Wealth inequality is undoubtedly the biggest problem the American society is facing.

There is a problem plaguing the United States: economic inequality. The financial gap between the rich and poor is widening and it only continues to increase. Not only is the rich becoming richer but the poor is becoming poorer. If some type of change doesn't happen it will cut the middle class. Although this is not a concerning matter to some, to others it's a huge concern and it continues to be a daily problem. Because economic inequality hurts the United States economy, the government should take steps towards reducing the gap between the rich and poor.

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 United States is a well-developed country and is considered to have the largest economy in the world. It is ranked high in GDP per capita, which indicates people enjoy a higher living standard in a nation (Mahoney, “Economic Inequality in the United States”). However, the aggregated data collected for GDP per capita could not be taken account for the middle and lower classes. According to the Pew Research Center, statistics show that the US income inequality has reached the biggest gap in 2013 (Desilver). Evidently, not all Americans possess the wealth and enjoy the benefit from the large portions of economy leading by the US. It is also shown through the fact that the US wealth distribution is generally the worst amongst the developed countries (Gongloff). It means that the top 1% of wealthy group is gaining more, but the middle and lower classes are hardly maintaining the same earnings or even making fewer profits than before, arguably the latter happens more often today. This controversial issue - the economic inequality that has been increasing significantly since the 1970s, seemingly attributed to the expansion of interest groups, which in turn negatively impacts the democracy in the United States.

Currently in the United States, there is the contrast between two entirely different worlds. This difference is possible to observe it in almost all States. In the United States, there is a level of poverty that groups (Latinos and blacks) minorities represent the majority. This sector, which has little income, accounts for a significant portion of the country. One of the illegal immigrants is represented in this group.