Proposition for final essay

For my essay I am going to discuss how poor access to education and lack of education is a major factor contributing to increasing inequality in America. Educational inequality is greatly determined by social and economic status. The better social and economic status you have the more likely you are going to get a good education, and it seems to be the opposite for people with poor social and economic status. I will analyze an article written by George Farkas a professor at Penn State University titled “How Educational Inequality develops”. I will also analyze an article written by Jaap Dronkers titled “Features of Educational Systems as Factors in the Creation of Unequal Educational Outcomes”.  The last article I will look at is “Inequality at the Starting Gate” by David T. Burkham. 

Inequality Essay

Emma Richman

RWS 200

Inequality

Economic inequality can be defined as the difference between individuals or populations in the distributions of their assets, wealth or income. In order for us to see a greater society everyone deserves a chance at economic success. Unfortunately economic equality has been a major struggle for America as a nation for quite some time now which has caused major gaps between the wealthy and the poor. Arthur Brooks, social scientist and author of many political and economic issues, discusses in his  diIn this essay I will discuss how cultural aspects, technology, globalization and political policy play a large effect on economic inequality in the united states through the analysis of these different authors.

In Arthur Brook’s article “Inequality and Unhappiness in America”, he makes it a solid point that inequality does not directly correlate with unhappiness. If our leaders focus on getting rid of income inequality then the underlying problem, lack of income mobility and unhappiness, will not improve. Brooks believes that we are “mistaking symptom for root cause.” In Maura Penningtons article, “To Fix Income Inequality, the Have- Nots Must Become the Do- Somethings” she states that we must “forget our misguided and nihilistic inclinations to pillage the wealthiest among us.” Pennington on the other hand, does not believe that the wealthy are the reason for inequality. Instead, she thinks that we should look up to the wealthy and use their success as motivation to do better for ourselves. Instead of redistributing a static supply of resources to the poor and middle class, Pennington believes we must establish stable institutions to empower people to be free and productive. In the article “New American Divide” by Charles Murray, he states that “everyone in the new monetary upper class has the resources to make a wide variety of decisions that determine whether they engage themselves or their children in the rest of America or whether they isolate themselves from it” Murray believes that culture is the main reason for economic inequality. All of these articles make is seem like economic inequality is not the major issue. Each article brings up different reasons for the struggle our economy is facing rather than blaming it solely on economic inequality.

Reich would disagree with many of these articles. Reich said that the united state has the most unequal distribution of income out of all the countries and this is the reason we are struggling as a nation. Like I stated earlier, Pennington makes it a point that inequality is not the issue. Instead we should see economic inequality as motivation to do better and move up the economic latter to achieve success. Reich said that in order to have a strong and successful economy it is crucial to have a vibrant and growing middle class. Brook’s would say to this that the middle class needs to work harder in order to help themselves. Reich also stated that it is extremely important to invest in people, the workforce and the middle class. According to Pennington, redistributing resources to the middle class is not going to do anything. We need to encourage people instead to be free and productive on their own. Krugman and Reich believe inequality is a problem when it is extreme and when it is connected with low levels of mobility and opportunity. Because then it makes it hard for people to get out of their social standings.