Many individuals classify as the prosperous or unfortunate‚ and the differentiation amongst the two groups continue to expand yearly; this categorization is known as income inequality. The sociological perspective‚ more so the structural functionalism‚ also identified as functionalism‚ can be used to further examine income inequality. Structural functionalism was introduced by Talcott Parsons‚ and it accentuates that efficient healthcare and excellent wellbeing are two fundamental factors for a human
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Barack Obama’s administration has “focus[ed] all efforts” on the rising income inequality that is affecting the United States economy. Income inequality refers to the extent of unequal distribution of income across a population. According to Emmanuel Saez‚ an economics professor at UC-Berkeley‚ “U.S. income inequality has been increasing steadily since the 1970s‚” partly due to the rise of single-parent families‚ but mostly from a rise in demand for highly-educated workers following the post-industrial
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talks about it. This problem within society is of course income inequality. When millionaires in America like Warren Buffett are paying much lower tax rates than their secretaries (“President Obama on Tax Fairness and Income Inequality”)‚ then you know that there is a serious problem here. The United States government treats the wealthiest Americans like they are untouchables and that is just disgusting. The problem of income inequality is huge within American society. It is a prevalent issue that
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Income is an economic standard to retain a successful life in today’s society. An average individual hopes for stable‚ reliable and a fair income‚ however‚ when the standards don’t meet expectation‚ it gives rise to social and economic issues. One of the more prominent issue we are facing in our income inequality. The standard definition for income inequality would be the gap between individuals or households who makes the most money and who makes the least‚ or as some would put it‚ the gap between
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In a study of a variety of developed countries‚ the United States had the second highest level of income inequality in the world‚ right behind Chile. Income inequality has always been a problem in the world‚ but especially in the United States. There is frequent debate on whether a person is getting a high enough salary or not. If not‚ the person that is not getting the sufficient funds often resorts back to the argument of their sex‚ race‚ or religion. This leads to worrisome debate throughout
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Income Inequality and the Lowest Quintile Income inequality is often associated with negative things such as decreased quality of life and a lack of social mobility. Yet‚ the lower classes are receiving less and less of the United States’ overall income while the top earners’ share is increasing. Why? This paper will explore causes of the growing income inequality as well as possible solutions to slowing it down. The income inequality gap has been growing over the past few decades‚ according to
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and if nothing is done‚ the very ideals on which our country stands could no longer exist. Income inequality is growing and there are less chances for social advancement‚ especially for those who are in the lower classes. The United States is running the risk of turning into class-bases society‚ similar to those seen in Europe. The Economic Policy Institute argues that between 1979 and 2000 the real income of households in the bottom 20% of earners grew by 6.4%‚ while the households in the top 20%
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Income Inequality It is very prevalent in our society that inequality comes in all different forms. One could see inequality everyday in gender‚ races‚ and even income. Income inequality has been steadily rising for many years and people have become frustrated with this upward trend. In David Leonhardt’s article “Inequality Has Been Going on Forever … but That Doesn’t Mean It’s Inevitable‚” the author criticizes this upward trend and describes the different levels of income inequality that
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In addition to its direct effect on poverty‚ inequality also effects poverty indirectly through its impact on growth. Initial cross-country studies found that greater initial income inequality actually reduces future growth even after controlling for initial levels of GDP and human capital. Evidence predominantly suggests that inequality is bad for growth. The World Development Report 2000/01 concludes that better distribution is possible without a reduction in economic growth. In other words there
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Western Connecticut State University Income Inequality in America “The proliferate gap separating the penniless from the gilded” Kristen Dakin ECO 101: Principles of Microeconomics Professor David Barber April 7th‚ 2014 The exponentially growing gap that separates the affluent from the rest of society in America has become a truly daunting statistic. According to data collected by the IRS‚ the World Top Economics Database asserted that in 2010‚ the
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