American Dream

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American Dream

Question 1

Economic mobility refers to the ability of individuals within a community, society, economy or country to move up in the economic status ladder. Economic mobility is also at times referred and likened to social mobility given that it results in a change in social status due income shift. Economic mobility in the United States has waned because of overdependence by people on government resulting in overspending, overtaxing and overburdening of welfare programs.

Question 2

Various factors determine the achievement of economic or social mobility in the United States. They include family structures, economic and racial segregation, social capital, and school or education quality and income inequalities. Family structures, such as single parent families are prone to poverty and inability to access opportunities such as employment, and quality education. Economic mobility is also hindered by the segregation on racial grounds in the United States. Racial segregation is one of the two primary factors, after family structures, associated with relative and absolute economic mobility in the United States.

Question 3

Cal Thomas and Bob Herbert indicate the deterioration of prosperity or the “American Dream” in the country as illustrated by the decline in incomes, widening rifts in inequality, warfare overseas and decline in the quality of education provided in American institutions. Herbert blames the liberal politicians in the country for the decline of the American prosperity among the countries in the world.

He notes that the liberal approach has created a dependency among the people on the government as opposed to proving people with avenues and opportunities to live the American dream. On the other hand, Cal Thomas notes that restrained liberalism would enable people achieve the American dream. Restraining liberalism includes reducing the overdependence among the people on the government created by such policies.