...American politics relates to the social class when looked at with three elements in mind of the socioeconomic status. Those three are income, education, and occupation. With income the ties are connected to economic issues. The lower making income voters tend to be more liberal on social welfare issues. The high income democrats are more likely to be liberal on economic issues similar to the low income democrats. With regard to education the better educated voters tend to more liberal on issues containing to race, abortion, gays, and gender. This also depends on a person’s background. Also might be more understanding in the modern day for what is acceptable in society. The class divides influences government in how it operates since the new deal era of the 1930’s. Thus leaving social class the main divider between parties. The higher income voters vote republican, the lower income poor and working class vote democratic. Labor has played a very big role in the democratic coalition. Unions tend to be effective in getting a group of their members to come out and vote which without the labor union otherwise would not have voted. Social and economic status is a well-known...
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...America has long been viewed as the land of opportunity for everyone; a place unlike any other where anyone can ascend to the top with hard work. People ravaged by hunger, poverty, and religious imprisonment have traveled across the world for centuries to reach this eden-like destination in hopes of reaching an elite status and living a better life than the one from which they escaped. Generations after the initial waves of immigration, people continue to pursue the dreams shared by their ancestors. However, as the inequality gap continues to grow, one question remains: is social mobility likely for most Americans? Although the statistics show that it is unlikely, social mobility is attainable for some due to special factors and the changing society of the United States....
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...How Reaganomics Destroyed the Middle Class Reaganomics are the economic policies that were set and promoted in 1980s by the U.S. President Ronald Reagan. These policies are mainly connected to trickle-down economics. There are four pillars that are associated with the economic policy of Reagan and they include: reduce government economic regulation, reduce growth of how much the government spends, reduce the marginal tax rates such as capital gains tax and income tax and lastly reduce the level of inflation by controlling money supply growth. These four policies were expected to increase investment and savings, balance the U.S. budget, reduce inflation, increase the economic growth rate, restore healthy financial markets and reduce interest rates. However, instead of bringing benefit to the U.S. population and the economy, Reaganomics ended up destroying the middle class and America. This is because it led to uneven distribution of wealth, wage disparity, unregulated economic activity, increased deficits and low-end jobs. The following is an analysis of how Reaganomics negatively impacted the middle class and the Americans. Majority of Americans welcomed the idea that was presented to them by their President Ronald Regan in the 80s whereby he made a policy of cutting down taxes for corporations, businesses and the investors who are the rich in order to stimulate economic growth and to create jobs for the youths and the poor in the society (Chafe 110). American...
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...Wealth & Power in America Name Institution Wealth & Power in America 1. In your opinion, who has political power in the United States? Who lacks it? Why? The congress has the political power in the United States. This is because the congress is entitled to writing the laws. The government and the president do not have the political power in U.S. The president is only entitled to signing the laws made by the congress. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, only decides whether the made laws are constitutional or not (Barret, Stokholm, & Burke, 2001). The wealth and the rich also have immense political power in U.S. 2. What is your opinion of the "American Dream" and the idea that anyone can work hard and succeed? “American Dream” refers to a concept that argues that people can lead happy and successful lives if they embrace the need to work hard. It also argues that freedom, meaningful relationships, and a person’s fulfillment can be achieved if a person works hard. However, in my opinion, not all people can achieve the goal of this dream. This is attributed to the society-structure of the United States. People live in varying social classes, ethnicity, and religion. This different structure of the American society hinders the achievement of this dream (Barret et al., 2001). Some people face a lot of discrimination in the workplaces. Discrimination, in most of these workplaces, is based on one’s color and background ethnicity. Such people are denied job opportunities...
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...Social stratification exists in America because the wealth and power belongs to a small portion of the population. Wealthy people possess an enormous amount of power over the political system and are held in high esteem by our society. There is a general feeling that those who are wealthy and powerful are superior to the average person. Social stratification involves not only socio-economic inequality, but the belief system held by people in America. A stratified society exists when there is an unequal distribution of wealth, power and prestige. In American society, political power and wealth are not distributed equally (Johnson, 1996). Paul Krugman is an economist and author of the book, 'The Spiral of Inequality' (1996). Krugman believes corporate greed, the decline of organized labor and changes in the way goods are produced are the causes of the growing social and economic inequality in the United States (Anderson, 2003). There is an unspoken general agreement in America that certain occupations deserve higher wages and more respect. Professions, such as physicians, lawyers, athletes and actors, are held in high esteem, whereas custodians, waitresses and trash collectors are considered professions that are not worthy of respect or praise and require minimal skill or intelligence. America most definitely needs skilled physicians and lawyers, but it also needs custodians, trash collectors and others who perform much needed tasks in order for society to thrive and function...
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...Social status, education level, age and gender. These are minor words that have a huge impact on different cultures around the globe. In America the talk of social status seems be more seen and not heard. It shows up in actions of those in this culture. If you want to raise money for a certain charity or event, the first crowd you will go out your way to extend an invitation to will be those in a high social status or class. America has come a long way in its views of status and age. Even though there is no set class structure as in other countries, America has its own views of social class. The words upper class and middle class and lower class are often mentioned. They were often referenced on the road to the White House in the Presidential elections of 2008. Many from outside American culture can often be blind when it comes to seeing our class structure since the homeless are often seen in the same areas as those who are wealthy. If one hangs around the Washington, DC area long enough, they will start to hear terms such as “The DC Elite” social status. These are people who are usually in the upper class and are invited to the important (often political) events in the city. Even certain areas of the city are known for where those with the money reside. Mention you live in Georgetown, Capitol Hill or one of the neighboring counties known for their wealth, and you will automatically be listed as someone with “status.” Titles in America are not as important...
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...Social Problems in America America is one of the greatest countries in the world, but there is still some room for improvement. The social problems in this country have been a major focus in the media lately, and people are beginning to realize the issues that American citizens are facing. While the solutions to these problems are not yet clear, it is apparent that we must unite as a country in order to work through them. I believe that the three largest social problems in our country are violence, race issues, and poverty because these issues effect American families across the country every day. Violence in America is reaching an all-time high, and every day more people are victims of violent acts. The violence in this country seems to be becoming much more frequent and damaging. Mass shootings are happening quite often, and we all sit and watch the news in horror as the death tolls rise. According to our textbook, 68 percent of crimes are committed using guns (Kendall 15). While these acts of violence are extremely alarming, it is even more concerning that our country has begun to argue over how to end the violence. Some citizens and politicians feel that gun control laws will lessen the violence, while others feel that guns are not the issue. Our country is divided over the solution to this...
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...The views as to whether sociologists believe religion does or does not inhibit social change will be discussed throughout this essay. Whereas sociologists such as Functionalist and Marxists believe that religion acts as a conservative force, thus inhibiting social change whether that is positive or negative, others believe that religion is a radical force and a major contributor to social change Firstly, functionalists believe that religion socialises its members through promoting shared norms, values and morals which prevent change as it promotes integrity and social solidarity. Functionalists such as Durkheim and Parsons argue that life is impossible without the shared norms, values and morals enforced in society and without them, believe that society would fail. Durkheim sees religion as having traditional conservative beliefs about moral issues and many oppose changes that would allow individuals more freedom in their personal lives for example, the Catholic Church forbids divorce and abortion etc. This supports the idea that religion inhibits change because it upholds the functionalist ideology of ‘family values’ and often favour the more traditional and out-dated ideas of family such as the patriarchal domestic division of labour. However, it is hard to see how religion can socialise the majority of society and stop social change from happening when in today’s society, only a minority of people regularly attend church or believe in a traditional religion. Furthermore...
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...“Who Rules America?”, G. William Domhoff provides us with a revealing look at class domination. He defines social and economic class status; the corporate world and it`s power and the intertwining between the corporate community and the upper class. To gain insight how one class can dominate the other we must define the terms social class and power. “They (social scientists) begin with a crucial analytical distinction between economic classes, which consist of people who have a common position in the economic system, such as ‘business owners’ or ‘employees’ and social classes, which consist of people who interact with each other, develop in-group social organizations, and share a common lifestyle” (Domhoff, 4). According to the author the most dominate social class in America is the upper class. This group can be defined as less than one percent of the population yet owns 34.3 percent of all marketable assets. As a group this class is very private, elite and secretive. They attend selected schools; they are members of private clubs and possess the most wealth in America. The upper class consists of networks which are created through social circles, alumni groups and club memberships. “This network-based way of thinking about a social class as a duality of persons and groups fits well with earlier definitions of social class” (Domhoff, 6). This group`s networks are the basis for shared interests. In an ideal world no class or group...
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...Race and Social Class I don’t believe there is a true relationship between race and social class. I think we need to explore beyond race to find the true relationship to social class. I believe that the relationship we should be focusing on is the one between social class and education. Races and cultures that put a higher value on education tend to produce more members of society that move from a lower social class to a higher social class or retain their social class from one generation to another. Also, I believe that the movement between social classes becomes more available within a society that does not apply a caste system on its members. Ultimately, it is an individual’s personal responsibly to determine their outcome. This goes beyond race, social class, and culture. I believe America has equal opportunity, but not equal outcomes. As Martin Luther King famously said in his “I Have a Dream” speech, “be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” We are unique individuals and have an opportunity to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are natural rights that are given to us by God. Today the President of the United States is of mixed White and Kenyan heritage. Any remnants of a caste system, perhaps from the days of Jim Crow and the laws of “separate, but equal” are but all behind us in America. If you look at the achievement gaps in the Jersey City, NJ public schools, there is a significant gap in the graduation...
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...Although Latin America has faced many social, political, and economic issues within the last three centuries, inequality remains one of the most important, historical, and omnipresent aspects of the region’s culture. As Europeans took over Latin America during the time of colonization, they implemented many elitist social structures that have held strong and are evident today (Harris). Income inequality is the most visible and greatest disparity that the region faces; yet inequality between gender, ethnicities, and education remain strong and significant problems with a necessity for improvement. Inequality of wealth and disparity of power and influence are Latin American’s greatest curses and are at the root of many of the developmental, social, criminal, and political problems that continue to plague the region (De Ferranti). Since inequality has pervaded into every feature of Latin American society, it is important to measure inequality accurately in order to obstruct the causes of the discrimination and prevent new ones from beginning. The Gini Coefficient is an effective way that people indicate the inequality of a country by measuring a frequency distribution of income or wealth. Using the "Gini Index" of inequality in the distribution of income and consumption, the researchers found that Latin America and the Caribbean, from the 1970s through the 1990s, measured nearly 10 points more unequal than Asia, 17.5 points more unequal than the 30 countries in the Organization...
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...Progressive Movement in America written by Michael McGerr is about the development of Progressivism and the large reform movement it called for by making the middle class the dominant class instead of the “Upper Ten.” Progressivism was the idea of transforming America and getting the middle class the power that the progressives thought they deserved. “Progressivism demanded a social transformation that remains at once profoundly impressive and profoundly disturbing a century later” (McGerr XV). Progressivism set the stage for ambitious America that was not quite ready for the change, but still makes an impact to this day with government and reforms. The Progressive movement began when the tension with the “Upper Ten” and when their extravagant lifestyles truly started to show. They were flaunting everything they did from mansions to parties. McGerr lets the readers know how displeased the “others” were with the extravagant celebrations and parties the “Upper Ten” constantly threw. This ended up spurring the ideology for progressivism and the reform the middle class called for....
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...economic development which is the terms of immigration. And there are not many of economically developed countries, which pulls high number of immigrants and takes actual high percentages in immigrant statistics. In present time, this immigration experience assumes as the constant affairs of American life. Because the views of people from other countries are America as the land of full opportunities for their better life no matter that they are coming in America legally or illegally. Juan Gonzales the author of the book titled, Harvest of Empire, criticized and analyzed this view by focusing on the Latino population of immigration and how the America’s foreign policies influences toward it. In his work, Juan Gonzales tries to overviewing how the Latino immigrants started to move in American historically and he also provides an analysis of the current events that showing the effects and frictions on Latino population thereby America’s politics and diplomacy. During reading Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzales, I thought a lot of time that this book is for all people who want to know about the history of Latino immigration in America in detail. Because Gonzalez delivers Latino’s historical processes of movement and settlement through all over the time periods from past to present day and divides his book into three parts as “Roots”, “Branches” and “Harvest” to give more information in details and help the reader for better understanding. The first part of the book “Roots” tells us...
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...Class and Discrimination in Business In America, class is something that is not important, most of us are middle-class and we are continuously moving up the economic ladder, because we all have an equal opportunity to succeed. I would certainly object to these commonly held beliefs. . In “Class in America-2003,” first published in Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study, Mantsios thoroughly persuades his readers that Americans avoid talking about class, because there are too many underlying realities that Americans like to “sweep under the rug.” Not only does Mantsios have strong argument to why we all have not reached the same opportunities, the fact that affirmative action still exist is strong evidence, as well. According to Wikipedia, Affirmative action “refers to the policies that take to race, ethnicity, physical disabilities, military career, gender, or a person's parents' social class into consideration”. Many think affirmative action is unnecessary, but statistics show that 95% to 97% white men have corporate positions (“Talking”). These statistics are bad enough, so imagine if there were no affirmative action policies in place. There is no doubt an undeniable gap exist between the rich and the poor and it is difficult to argue that Americans live in a classless society. Many object to affirmative action policies, because they believe that it advocates reverse discrimination. This is certainly not the reason for affirmative action, it...
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...separates the classes in America, both financially and culturally, and how it has evolved over time. From the beginning, he emphasizes the dissolution of a “common civic culture” as previously widespread values such as marriage and a hard work ethic become less commonly held among the greater American populace. Even though the gap in wealth has always existed in America, in earlier eras there still existed a sense of cultural equality among the classes, or at least among the non-Latino white population. He states that Americans pride themselves in the idea of a cultural equality between all citizens; however, Murray feels that this cultural equality is decreasingly true since the 1960s as citizens of contrasting classes have evolved differently over the decades from 1960 to 2010. Murray defines this common civic culture as “a culture encompassing shared experiences of daily life and shared assumptions about central American values involving marriage, honesty, hard work, and religiosity” that most Americans, if not all, of all social classes share (Murray 348). Murray states that over the past fifty years, this civic culture has progressively fallen apart and a new upper class as well as a new lower class has emerged. This new upper class has advanced educations, shared opinions, and specified preferences that set them apart from mainstream America, as compared to the new lower class that is “characterized not by poverty, but by a withdrawal from America core cultural institutions”...
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