Towards a Solution to the Problem of Socio-Economic Inequity and Poverty in the United States

Hypothesis/Answer

The aspect of the past that I would want to help repair, if I were in the position to do so, would be the issue of massive socio-economic inequity in the United States. While it is the case that such inequalities exist in almost every human society, and have been since the beginning of our species, it does seem to be the instance that this issue is particularly severe within our nation, and that it has been growing increasingly worse in the last decade or so. To be sure, there are very few Americans under the age of 50 these days who honestly believe that we live in the "land of opportunity," and that upward social mobility is within reach of anyone who is willing to work hard for it. It is also apparent that this severe inequality is at the root of many of our other social problems, many of which could be mitigated or outright eliminated if the economic playing field were leveled to ensure a more secure future for all citizens.

The problem of socio-economic inequity in the United States impacts just about all people in this nation. Not only is it the case that a large percentage of Americans report that they would be unable to come up with $400 in the event of an emergency, but it is also the case that more and more citizens are finding home ownership out of reach, are burdened by large amounts of student loan debt, and generally live on a paycheck to paycheck basis. This is a situation that is not only tough and miserable for those who must face it, but this situation also lays the groundwork for future social unrest and possible political instability. As such, this is a societal problem that should concern all Americans, even those who are fortunate enough to be counted among the proverbial "one percent."

Main Reasons

The most compelling reason for working to solve socio-economic inequity in the United States is because it is simply the morally correct and humane thing to do. It is quite risible that, in the purportedly wealthiest nation on Earth, a large percentage of our citizenry live in constant fear of homelessness and starvation, are actually experiencing these deprivations, and also lack access to decent health care. There truly seems to be no material reason that wealth cannot be redistributed in some shape or form in order to assure the bulk of the population access to their basic survival needs.

A second reason to work to solve this issue within our nation is that it is indubitable that many of those who occupy the upper ranks of our socio-economic hierarchy arrived at this position due to intergenerational wealth, rather than hard work or talent. It is also the case that many of these individuals and families are quite easily able to increase their wealth through a variety of passive income strategies, such as engaging in investments, or engaging in rent-seeking behaviors which contribute very little of actual value to our society.

A third reason to work toward solving this problem is that much of it is rooted in other social evils of our nation, such as racism or the widespread extermination and oppression of the original inhabitants of this land. As mentioned in the second point, many of the Americans who are currently wealthy today benefited simply from being born to the right parents at the right point in history. Truly, it does seem that we, as a society, need to liberate ourselves from time-honored yet dysfunctional cultural beliefs such as the sanctity of the Puritan work ethic, or the old yarn of "pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps."

Supporting Arguments

As for the first step that I would take towards repairing this aspect of the past, it would be that of taking steps to ensure that all Americans who work for a living can be assured of earning a living wage or better for their efforts (Hirschmann & Snipp 630). This is a gargantuan effort in and of itself, but a first good step would be to raise the federal minimum wage to a level at which an employee can reasonably expect to be housed, to eat three meals a day, and have a decent standard of living.

The second step that I would take to repair this aspect of the past would be to raise income taxes, capital gains taxes, and estate taxes on the wealthiest citizens in this nation. No one truly believes that these individuals and families earned their wealth through "the sweat of their brow" any longer, and it is also clear that their refusal to contribute their fair share of taxes will result in further social unrest and potential political disturbance in the long term. As such, it is in the interest of all citizens that the wealthiest Americans be taxed according to their respective levels of lucre.

A third, and much more complex, step that I would take to solve this societal ill is to work to change the overall cultural paradigm related to money, finances, virtue, and the sense that some citizens "deserve" their basic survival needs to be met over others. One of the aspects of this societal problem that does not receive much attention is the fact that the children of the poor are often set up for future poverty early in their lives. When a child does not receive adequate nutrition, health care, or education, the chances that they will grow up to be impoverished adults themselves then exponentially increases out of no doing or fault of their own. Moreover, these adults will then perpetuate their situation on to their own children. As such, I would work to lobby for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), which is something that could help to break this cycle, at least partially.

So What?

As for how the manner in which solving the problem of socio-economic inequity in the United States would make the world a better place, it is extremely difficult that this undertaking would not improve matters. Indeed, the major counterarguments that those who are not in favor of phenomena such as the UBI, an increased federal minimum wage, or increased taxes on the astronomically wealthy make is that such actions would cause the populace to become "lazy," "unmotivated," or make more people prone to "vice" or "gaming the system." Assuredly, in any population, there is always going to be a small minority of individuals who will do whatever they can to "skate by," or to extract the maximum possible from the system with as little effort as they need to. This is merely human nature, not something that is "deviant" nor "sinful." Moreover, no one can deny that this is exactly the "sinful" behavior in which the extraordinarily wealthy within this nation engage, as they typically derive their largesse through inheritance, investment gains, or various forms of rent-seeking (Green & Healy 656).

While the matter of intergenerational poverty and long-term socio-economic inequity in this nation is traceable to historical injustices, there can also be no doubt that working to solve these issues can greatly help to improve the future within this nation. At this juncture in time, the majority of us all are well aware that an American child who is born into an impoverished family has a much higher risk of growing up malnourished, with psychological issues, with a poor education, a lower potential for career success, and a high risk of criminal behavior (Azevedo et al. 50). A person who fits this profile is highly unlikely to contribute much of value to our larger society and will almost certainly end up becoming a net burden to society, more or less. Thus, even from the most starkly conservative perspective on this matter, it makes sense to provide some collective support to such children. Now that we know many of the basic facts of human development, there really can be no excuse to deny all children and adolescents the very basics that they need in order to become healthy and fully functional adults.

Clearly, anyone who cares about the future of the United States will arrive at the conclusion that it is necessary to solve the extreme socio-economic inequity in our country to preserve the future of this nation. From the most liberal point of view, this is something that needs to take place out of sheer humanity and civility. If one is considering this problem from a highly conservative perspective, then one can consider this as a matter of ensuring a healthy, reliable and productive workforce. From any angle possible, it is clear that Americans need to quickly address the issue of severe socio-economic inequity in our nation. This is unacceptable.

CONCLUSION

Certainly, this is a massive social issue with which I have chosen to contend. I am aware that socio-economic inequity and poverty in the United States have very deep historical and cultural roots, and cannot be resolved in the space of one, two, or even three whole generations of effort. However, I can try, at the very least.

Works Cited

Azevedo, Flavio, et al. "Neoliberal ideology and the justification of inequality in capitalist societies: Why social and economic dimensions of ideology are intertwined." Journal of Social Issues 75.1 (2019): 49-88.

Green, Fergus, and Noel Healy. "How inequality fuels climate change: The climate case for a Green New Deal." One Earth5.6 (2022): 635-649.

Hirschman, C., & Snipp, C. M. (2019). The state of the American dream: Race and ethnic socioeconomic inequality in the United States, 1970-1990. In Social stratification (pp. 623-636). Routledge.