Poverty Inequality And Unequal Distribution Of Wealth

The era of volatility has created a shift from America being the middle-class society to simply rich or poor (Sachs, 2011). A gap this large has not been experienced since the 1920’s (Sachs). “The top 1% of households takes almost a quarter of all household income” but an economy this top heavy will not be able to succeed (Sachs, 2011, p. 30). The working classes are struggling with housing, wage, and employment issues. Rich individuals are ignoring these troubles, shipping their business operations out of the country, thus furthering the downward spiral of the economy (Sachs).

This led to the concentration of wealth the top two percent of the US owned sixty percent of the money and the rest of the people were poor. Mechanization caused massive over production which put the US in a strain because of it’s lack of consumers. So they cut production and raised prices which was still ineffective. With food being too expensive work, and housing was scarce the poor were forced to make housing. With a combination of mechanization, conservative presidents, concentration of the wealth because of the trickle down theory, and higher taxes on the poor, the poor worked harder and steadily got poorer.

Corruption of government officials and the political weight that large international businesses use has only widened the economic inequality gap. In the U.S., this can be seen in the relationship with the economy and poverty. Individuals in unproductive jobs experience less motivation to excel in their work environment and subsequently, lose enthusiasm to participate in political decisions that affect their lives (Bernstein 4-7). The lack of response leads politicians to

The gap between the rich and poor that has continuously increased throughout the decades makes it even more challenging for an individual to jump from the poor class to the rich. The rich, receiving large tax breaks, stay rich. This leaves the Americans in the poor class to carry the burden of the heavier taxes, leaving them in the same class with little to no hope of becoming rich and obtaining the American dream. In addition, delaying and denying citizenship to immigrants hinders their ability to obtain wealth and the American dream. Low wages also decreases the ability for many Americans to gain a higher education, decreasing the likelihood they will receive high wages and the American dream.

The largest companies in the United States are finding that there are workers that are just as qualified in other countries that do not require as much pay. The article Vanishing Jobs says, “Nationally, layoffs are eliminating jobs far beyond blue-collar workers... in the ever shrinking manufacturing sector” (Katel). This quote interprets the idea that business will do anything to make a greater profit through cutting costs. Most politicians say that the issue behind job loss in the United States is because of lack of education. This to some point is true; however, the evidence provides the information to conclude that the degree holders are mostly the ones losing their jobs because of the higher wage that is obtained by the degre... ... middle of paper ... ...ect on the college graduates and younger children of today.

Corporate greed and extreme partisanship have gotten the American people nowhere, and if they are allowed to continue in the same manner apocalyptic days may be upon us. If America is to find it's way out of this economic mess, small businesses should be the ones getting billions in government aid, not big business. The government should find new ways to deal with the economic collapse because corporate greed, extreme partisanship and a lack of aid for small businesses has not helped. Corporate America has nearly single-handedly caused the crash of the American economy. These giants need to be reined in or they are going to cause a crash the likes of which Americans have not seen since the Great Depression.

There are 11 million people living in the dark and too many employers cheating the system by hiring undocumented workers in exchange for offering lesser pay. The current system is hurting the economy and bringing down our country as a whole. Out of the 11 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States, 8 million of them are currently working. Employers in America who want inexpensive workers, hire illegal immigrants and pay them under the table. Since the system does not have an efficient way of identifying and penalizing these employers, this has been an ongoing dilemma.

America as a nation is wealthier then ever, yet the middle class is in very real danger of disappearing, and I fear that if nothing is done millions and millions of Americans will live in poverty without the chance to work themselves out of it, and that is unacceptable. Works Cited Hassett, Kevin A., and Michael R. Strain. "Why we shouldn't raise the minimum wage." American enterprise Institute. American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 10 Mar.

Outsourcing is harmful to the United States’ economy because it paves the way for job losses, decreases product consumption, and widens the gap between the rich and the poor. With outsourcing, thousands of Americans are stripped from their jobs in many sectors of the industry, negatively impacting local, state, and federal governments. On average, these unemployed workers can only find new jobs that pay 80% of their original wage (Dobbs). Decreased wages diminishes peoples’ living conditions, and Americans are forced to consider multiple jobs, smaller homes, and fewer luxuries. In America, this reduced standard of living means fewer government funds.

The average American today is working longer hours for less income-and has every reason to worry that the future will be even worse for his or her children. Television news shows may not feature it. Reader's Digest may not discuss it, and the leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties may not make it a priority, but the decline in the standard of living of the average worker is, far and away, the most important and central issue facing this country. The rich are getting richer; the poor are getting poorer; and the middle class is shrinking. This is the great truth of contemporary U.S. society.