American Inequality

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Inequality exists around us. One of the inequalities is the income received by a person or member of a family. This income includes wages, salaries, pensions, and interest derived from assets. Income inequality refers to the various income within a given population. This inequality is especially high in the United States.

This inequality stems from the changes within the U.S. economic structure coupled with the changes in our government policy. At least 80% of all citizens work in a service related job. These types of jobs pay far less than the manufacturing jobs that dominated the American economy. With the present economy looking bad, most employers are laying off employees and possibly replacing them with lower paying temporary or part-time employees. Or these employers are moving their companies to foreign nations with cheaper labor.

Governmental policies have made unions to where it is difficult to recruit new members and have influence. These policies have also allow taxes to be cut for the wealthy and decrease the benefits for the poor class. These policies also have allowed the value of the minimum wage to decline, thus keeping down the incomes of poor and working class Americans.

The U.S. government sets a poverty level or line which is the minimum standard of living for a family of two adults and two children. In 2009, this level was set as $21,834. Any family whose income is below this amount is considered in the social class of the poor.

The poor is not in just one race. It crosses the American society no matter what race. But it appears to be prominent in the African Americans and the Hispanics families. They are in small towns and in big cities. They may have full-time jobs and without jobs. They live in t...

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...s dream alive, there needs to be an equalization of the opportunities to a minimum level. I agree to some degree. The opportunities should be available to all American citizens. They should have the same basic education. But once they graduate from high school, they are on their own. It is sink or swim time. Either they succeed or they fail and stay poor.

Works Cited

Brinkerhoff, D.B., White, L.K., Ortega, S. T., Weitz, R. (2011). Essentials of sociology, 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Levenstein, M. (2011, May 30). The American Dream. Retrieved June 10, 2011, from http://www.michigandaily.com/opinion/max-levenstein-american-dream

McMurrer, D.P., Sawhill, I.V. (1998, May 1). Getting ahead: economic and social mobility in America: introduction and overview. Retrieved June 10, 2011, from http://www.brookings.edu/papers/1998/05useconomics_sawhill.aspx

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