Is America A Democracy
...lords. People from the lower-class are not likely to succeed in the educational system. They experience prejudice from the legal system. This class seldom exerts itself politically. ( http://www.delmar.edu/socsci/rlong/intro/class.htm). Since the mid-1960s, income inequality in the United States has only been increasing. According to our text it has increased most rapidly between 1980 and 1992 and is now at its highest level in over 50 years. “By 2000, the top one percent of the population was getting a bigger share of after-tax income than the bottom 40 percent. In other words, 2.8 million Americans were out-earning 110 million,” (http://www.inequality.org/facts.html). Inequality in wealth is even greater than in income. The difference between income and wealth is: income is the money people receive within a given time interval, while wealth is what they own at a particular time. Wealth can be measured by the net worth of a household, the value of all assets minus depts. According to our text, the top 20 percent of households in wealth own more than 80 percent of all wealth. It also says that nearly 94 percent of wealth is owned by the top 40 percent of households, leaving just over 6 percent of all wealth distribution among the remaining 60 percent of households. In 2001, according to NYU economist Edward Wolff, the richest five percent of American households controlled over 59 percent of the country’s wealth; the richest 20 percent held 83 percent of the wealth; the bottom 80 percent had 17 percent; and the bottom 40 percent just 0.3 percent. Nearly 31 percent of black households and more than 13 percent of white households had zero or negative net worth. Poverty is a huge barrier holding many people back from having equal opportunities. People who live in poverty, even though schools and parents teach them that they should strive to rise above poverty, face schools that can't teach them. They encounter employers that won't hire them. They live near stores that can't sell to them. The poor, after all, have different class backgrounds than their teachers. They have no skills to sell employers. They have no money with which to buy things. Race is also a factor of inequality of wealth. White households are much more wealthier than African-American and Hispanic Households. For every dollar in wealth owned by a white household, the average African-American household owns 16 cents and the average Hispanic household owns 9 cents. What does wealth and income have to do with undemocratic features in the United States? Well it separates us into social classes, which separates us into the “haves” and “have-nots.” This obviously is not democratic. Social Classes, which is often thought of in terms of money and/or wealth, largely determine ones life chances across a broad spectrum of social phenomenon from health care, to educational attainment, to participation in the political process, to contact with the criminal justice system. Life chances are the likelihood that individuals and groups will enjoy desired goods and services, fulfilling experiences, and opportunities for living healthy and long lives. The higher your social class the better your life chances will be. For example, social class affects education. The higher the social class of the parent, the further the child or children will go in school. They will also have a better chance of performing better in school. By the age of five, youngsters who have always lived in poverty have IQs that average nine points lower than those who were never poor. The importance of education receives greater emphasis in upper classes, therefore, children of the upper classes are more likely to attend college. Also, the upper class can afford better education. Social class also affects health and life expectancy. According to our text, a doctor expressed that, “Lower socioeconomic status is probably the most powerful dingle contributor to premature mobility and mortality, not only in the United States but worldwide.” In general the higher the social class, the greater the life expectancy. The poor are subject to more infant deaths and disease than the upper classes. Rates of mental illness also go up as social class goes down and the poor are less likely to receive treatment. The higher level of stress is one explanation for higher rates of mental illness. Social Class can affect a person’s fate as well. For instance, in 1912 when the Titanic sank, passengers in first class were more than twice as likely to survive than those in third class. Americans’ experience with the political process is also dramatically affected by their place on the socioeconomic ladder. Inequality shapes the system, and the system aggravates and perpetuates inequality. People who occupy higher-class positions tend to act in their class interests by voting while people from lower levels of society do not. Nowhere is the power differential between classes more obvious than in the criminal justice system. Crimes committed by the poor receive more attention and poor people who commit crimes are more likely to receive punishment. Style of life is affected by social class as well. For example, TV dinners, junk food, frozen pizzas, and Hamburger Helper are more frequently on the menus of lower-income households than higher-income ones. People of lower class are said to begin sexual activities at a younger age. According to our text, social class even affects the furniture we buy and the television program we watch. Power is another factor in inequality. Power determines which individuals or groups will be able to translate their preferences into the reality of social life. It provides answers to the question of whose interests will be serves and whose values will reign. If the United States were truly democratic, there would not be people or groups that have great power. Everyone would be equal. Power contributes to inequality because powerful people are able to mobilize resources to achieve their goals despite resistance from others. Like wealth, power is concentrated in the hands of a few. This creates a problem. For example, look at how long it took for women to get the right to vote. Before the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, women had no say in politics. Is this democratic? I would say not. Prestige also has an impact on inequality in America. Prestige refers to the power to impress or influence. In our daily lives we tend to give private a concrete existence through titles, special seats of honor, deference rituals, honorary degrees, emblems, and conspicuous displays of leisure and consumption. A person’s occupation may determine how much prestige he or she has. We treat people differently based on privilege. Of course, wealth and income help achieve prestige so many are at a disadvantage. Again, is this democratic? Shouldn’t everyone be treated the same? Race also has an affect on status attainment. For example, African-Americans have made tremendous progress, but remain disadvantaged. The expected lifetime earnings of black men are...