The American dream has never been well defined. When this social movement was created in 1931 by historian James Truslow Adams it was used by a wide range of people: politicians; writers; and economists to suit their own purposes. In some people's eyes, it's about money and power, for others it's about simple financial stability and freedom. There are so many things that keep the dream out of reach for the standard American citizen. There's no doubt that this idealization has evolved through time, but what does it mean for the current middle class of America?
The idea of the American dream is no longer a social construct. People take this idea extremely seriously; for some, it’s all they think about as they climb the ladder to success. There are a great deal of problems and social issues that arise when we look at what most people need in order to achieve this dream. Most people who live in this country spend their entire lives working for what they want and sometimes it’s never enough. In the best possible case, this is what the American dream should look like, “Adams’s definition of the dream idealistically encompasses the elements of a functional democracy: social order, opportunity for everyone irrespective of the social rank, financial comfort, and public recognition.” (Ştiuliuc) Most people though, will live in this country spending their entire lives working for what they want and sometimes it’s never enough.
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The middle class is a relatively new idea made true in the twentieth century. For most of humanity’s time here on Earth, there were only two classes in civilization: higher class and lower class. This fluke made it possible for millions to live relatively comfortably and not have to worry about survival. “Twentieth century America temporarily escaped this stratification, but now, as statistics on economic inequality demonstrate, we’re slipping back in that direction.” (McClelland) We can’t continue to allow this aged design of class to continue. People who live here need to find ways to keep the middle class thriving rather than lose its defining factor on what makes America one of the most prosperous nations.
Through the ages, the middle class has been known as the class that makes just enough to support themselves while also having enough money on the side to spend on frivolous things. These things are usually what you use to flaunt your wealth such as expensive automobiles, hobby items, and new electronics. With the rise and fall of the economy, it’s been getting harder and harder to keep up.
This capitalistic society says that we can obtain whatever we want as long as we work hard but how are we to do this when job requirements are being raised? The only way to meet the expectations for being accepted for a job position is the correct level of education. “The pay gap between college graduates and everyone else in this country is near its all-time high.” (Leonhardt) The problem with this ideology is that obtaining a decent post-secondary education costs money.
You could argue that the need for post-secondary education is necessary in this day and age because of technological advancements being made. The need for educated and skilled individuals is rising. This country is in need of more experienced and qualified professionals for the field required because globalization has spurred the import of products that use low trained work from different countries. The problem seen with this type of progress is when it becomes out of control for the nation. The cost of education continues to rise as these new positions become available but at some point, we will have to stop and consider when the wages balance out with the cost of education.
The tension between social classes is palpable. The divide between the proletariat and the aristocracy continues to grow but we continue to support the idea that if you ‘work hard you can play hard’. It’s a hindrance that we show our full and utmost support for the rich, and it doesn’t help that the media is constantly throwing news at the public about their extravagant lifestyle. People from the lower class love to see what it would be like to be wealthy but won’t put any effort into actually trying to get there. The American people have become too comfortable, they buy what the rich provide for us, whether that be entertainment, technology, or information but we forget that the wealthy don’t give anything in return except for that. In order to become what we aspire to; we must set new laws into place to get to where we need to be for the good of the rest of the country.
One way that we can help the future workers of this country is by making education easily accessible. In order to do this, we need to start taxing the wealthy. Leonhardt quotes an interesting idea from Thomas Piketty from his book “Capital in the Twenty-First Century”, “Piketty advocates a global wealth tax aimed more directly at capital inequality than income taxes currently are. It would apply to anyone with more than about $1.4 million in net worth and become steeper on higher fortunes than moderate ones.” (Inequality Has Been Going On Forever... but That Doesn't Mean It's Inevitable) Getting laws like these passed by legislation and using the tax money towards education would overall better this country.
It is objectively wrong that the rich are able to parade their wealth while people of lower classes struggle to pay rent, purchase nutritious food, have affordable healthcare, and provide for their families. Krugman uses Robert Frank’s findings in his book The Conscience of a Liberal, “Today’s rich had formed their own virtual country… They had built a self-contained world unto themselves, complete with their own health-care system (concierge doctors), travel network (Net Jets, destination clubs), separate economy… The rich weren’t just getting richer; they were becoming financial foreigners, creating their own country within a country, their own society within a society, and their economy within an economy.” (pg. 588-589) Where can we as Americans draw the line to keep these economic differences in check? The aristocrats have made themselves virtually untouchable and that goes against American values. We must find a way to redistribute this money to the rest of the country without creating an uproar from the well-off.
The knowledge gained from the last few decades is that we can't rely upon the free market to support the working class. It won't occur without government mediation. As well as taxing the wealthy, we need to create a new deal that will raise the minimum wage, make it unchallenging for unions to form, and provide benefits to those who currently can’t acquire it at their current jobs. Some of these deals are in the process of being made, but they need to be made clear to the public and also require backup from the community.
Low-paying jobs have made it increasingly difficult for citizens to find decent housing. The average working person in America has to work two to three minimum-wage jobs just to pay their rent for the month. Adamczyk states in her news article, “A full-time worker earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour cannot rent an affordable two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country… This means someone earning the federal minimum wage would have to work more than three full-time jobs — 127 hours per week — to afford a two-bedroom rental, and 103 hours for a one-bedroom.” ( Full-Time Minimum Wage Workers Cannot Afford a 2-Bedroom Rental Anywhere in the US.) We must also take into account that people should be spending no more than thirty percent of their income on their housing. When you add this to the lack of moderate-priced housing, you can see that there’s a future of stressed and possibly homeless citizens that will increase in size at an alarming rate.
The fact is, middle-class families can’t afford the houses that they’re living in either. Parents want what’s best for their children, so they work hard to climb up in status. What’s better to show off your status than the place that you live in? Middle-class citizens are competing for houses in neighborhoods that are close to superior school districts for better education for their young. If you are able to receive a good education and your parents are well off, you’re more likely to lead a satisfactory life yourself. This situation can create problems for middle-class residents such as debt because they constantly want to continue the cycle their parents carried out and do the very best for their families in the future.
Another issue with the wage gap is the price of healthcare in the United States. Not all jobs have a requirement to give benefits to their full-time employees. This affects individuals and their families regarding debt. On the opposite end, individuals who use a private insurance company may have to deal with rising premiums as well as cost-sharing which threaten wage gains. “Poor Americans have worse access to care than do wealthy Americans, partly because many remain uninsured despite coverage expansions since 2010 due to the ACA.” (Dickman) Let’s face it, life halting emergencies can disrupt our life at any point, but what happens when you aren’t able to pay your healthcare bill? One accident can put you in serious danger regarding your financial stability for years to come. Worse than that, most people who can’t afford healthcare will choose not to be treated which can lead to a shorter life expectancy.
Something to keep in mind is that racial inequality comes into play with many aspects of achieving the American dream. Being of a different ethnic background or race can restrict where you are able to live, the quality of your education, the occupation(s) you wish to have, the benefits you receive, the wage you are given, etc. “…despite the melting pot rhetoric, for many ethnic groups in the United States, the American dream has been a dream deferred… In this way, for many African Americans, the fulfillment of the American Dream meant the successful attempt to overcome individual and institutional racism, as well as other forms of segregation (class, religion, gender, etc.).” (Ştiuliuc) This racial segregation, as old as it is, continues to divide the American society.
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