How Income Inequality Is Hurting America - 1271 Words

How Income Inequality is Hurting America Vermont Senator and presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, said it best when he said â€Å"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 ultimate ly hurts American citizens. Based on the U.S. National Debt Clock, the current average debt per citizen is $58, 271. Although some may say that the reason people get in debt is due to poor money management, the truth is that income inequality plays a significant role in forcing Americans into debt as well. As members of the upper class become wealthier, they set standards that make it almost impossible for members of the middle and lower classes to keep up. People of the lower class become surrounded by theShow MoreRelatedWomen’s Income Inequality and The American Dream Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pages Income inequality is a big ongoing problem in the United States. It has a big effect on what America was all about, the American dream. The American dream that everyone is equal and has equal opportunities. Although a big part of what goes on in the Untied States that just doesn’t fit the American dream; women are unequal in the work place. They are put under what is known as the â€Å"Glass C eiling†. Women do not get promoted in the work place and aren’t getting equal pay as men. This also leadsRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1127 Words   |  5 Pagessociety, it’s not always race and gender that creates inequality; sometimes it’s money that creates the issue. Not just from past evidence, but from present evidence as well, America shows signs of inequality by the way people are taught different at different schools and also by the often occurring shootings, riots, and police brutality incidents happening on a national scale. Although people are treated unequally in most situations and places, America is still equal in some situations. Those thingsRead MoreA Clip Of Jon Stewart And His Satire908 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The United States of America is not a third world country. . .except perhaps income inequality where we rank worse than the Ivory Coast, worse than Cameroon† (Inequality for All). A clip of Jon Stewart and his satire was featured during the opening minutes of the documentary Inequality for All. Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration, is the centerpiece of the film, describing and explaining the growing income inequality in the United States and the effect it hasRead MoreRaising The Federal Minimum Wage1225 Words   |  5 PagesReduces Poverty. Washington Post. The Washington Post, 4 Jan. 2014 XIV Destroying Idealistic Minimum Wage Advocates A. 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The high crime usually involves low income neighborhoods, which in more than one way effects minoritiesRead MoreRace And Health Inequality In America. . Racial Discrimination1580 Words   |  7 PagesRace and Health Inequality in America Racial discrimination by doctors According to Golash-Boza (2016), the systemic racism or the accumulated disadvantages for non-whites are also reflected in in the areas of health and environment. Golash-Boza (2016) argues that racial inequalities diminish not only he opportunities for non-whites but also â€Å"our time on earth†. This can have an effect on the health and life expectancy. It is interesting to look at why blacks have a lower life expectancy thanRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1379 Words   |  6 Pagesunprecedented growth and a rapid increase in the wealth of the richest Americans (Smiley 1). As it follows the excessive lives of wealthy individuals, the novel highlights the negative effects of an unregulated capitalist economy. 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Lastly, what are some of the measures that the US government has taken to address the issue of social injustices, which include Unemployment, endless crimes and terrorism, social classes in AmericanRead MoreAmerica s Trade Area Of The Americas1494 Words   |  6 PagesHistory Latin America is composed of seventeen countries which was colonized by Spain’s and Portugal. They are large in diverse population with four hundred and ninety million people in total. The percentage of the Indian and African that lives in Latin America is basically seventy-five percent just in the cities. The industrial and development grew since the 1960’s; also the free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) proposes to integrate economies of Latin America, North America and the Caribbean (exceptRead MoreAmerica Needs Better Funding For The Safety Net Programs1644 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica, where the famous so-called â€Å"American Dream† was born, used to be the most influential nation in the world economy. However, since the Second World War, America’s economy has been in a free-fall. The â€Å"American Dream† is now only a remnant of long lost heydays. The reason why America has gotten to this dreadful situation may lie in the path that its gov ernment chose to develop. For instance, the truly needy do not have enough support from the Social Safety Net programs to get out of poverty: