Tentative thesis
Wealth inequality effects our economy, our people, and our justice system causing so many different problems each year which is why it is the biggest problem of the 21st century.
• Scope and Value- I want to examine the effects the wealth inequality has not only on our economy but how this affects other demographic scenarios. Wealth inequality is a huge problem in today’s society and has been for a very long time. The unequal distribution of our money has caused not only problems relating to the poverty rate but I believe that much more damage has come from this issue. One of the reasons I believe that the wealth inequality is becoming larger and larger every day is due to the fact that people do not know enough about the subject. People seem to be very uneducated on this subject because it is not stressed enough in the society we live in. In an article I found about wealth inequality, Zaid Jilani does a great job interpreting what people know about this problem. “People’s idea of what they believe is the wealth difference is extremely different then what the difference actually is. In a study conducted over several months, most people believed the top twenty percent of Americans own about sixty percent of the wealth, while the middle forty percent owns about thirty percent, and then the last forty owns about ten percent of the wealth. But the actual wealth distribution is even worse than this. The top twenty percent owns about eighty percent, while the middle forty owns about eighteen percent, and the last forty owns about two percent.”2 People know that there clearly is a gap between the rich and the poor but do they know how big this gap is and why this gap is so big. This is a problem because the overall effect it has on our society. A society where, as studies show, people resort to crime only if the potential benefits of the crime outweigh the cost or consequences of committing that crime.1 Although the issue of wealth inequality has stretched all over the globe, I want to examine, more specifically, the result this has had on different neighborhoods throughout the United States of America. I believe that the United States has been greatly affected by this problem and something needs to be done about it. America is home to some of the richest people and some of the poorest and I think this will show the different results that the wealth inequality can cause. I believe focusing on some of the major cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York, could prove to be beneficial.
I researched the results that show that wealth inequality in the United States has become a serious issue and many questions arose. One question that I have is how these results directly relate to how people living in poverty are effected? I believe the issue of wealth inequality directly relates to certain issues involving the overall crime rate. This is extremely concerning to most because we are causing unwanted problems in our society because of how big the wealth inequality has become. But why should people want to change the society that has proved to be somewhat successful so far as in developing our country? We have created a strong system that seems to be okay with some in the sense that if you work hard you will succeed so why change? What went wrong with the idea of the American dream? I believe that this idea of the “American dream” has actually changed to the “American myth.” In a society where the wealth distribution is so large, it is nearly impossible for all Americans to chase this dream. What would a society be like with an “ideal” system that creates, not an even, but a mild to moderate slope on the wealth inequality scale?
• Originality- The issue involving wealth inequality has been studied since the days of Karl Marx and even before but from the sources that I have previously looked they all seem to focus on how the economy is affected. Whether that is talking about how many people live in poverty, or how this has affected the economy, or just the overall statistics of wealth inequality.. The articles would go on to talk about the everyday life of the people who were affected negatively or positively from our system. In my paper I want to focus more on the people who are affected negatively, their thoughts about the system, their lives, and also how this has affected the neighborhoods that they are forced to live in because of their income. I want to research, in depth, the different lives that these people in poverty live in comparison to the wealthy. How one group is able to live the way they want to live and achieve the “American Dream” while as for some they are stuck in a never ending battle with poverty.
• Practicality- After doing an extensive amount of research on this topic already, I believe that there will be enough information on my subject. There are many different books, databases, and articles that relate to my topic which I will be able to use. I am also in the process of looking for more primary resources just to help further back up my argument.. To articulate my point correctly I think that I will first have to lay down the facts on what wealth inequality was and what it has come to. Then, using some of my secondary resources, I will talk about the different parties that are effected the most by this problem. I will go on to talk about the different problems, such as crime, drugs, lack of education, and more, that arise from these people who are effected using different types of primary and secondary sources. Then I will need to create reasoning behind my belief on why I think these topics are directly related.
Bibliography:
Briggs, Jr. Vernon M “American-Style Capitalism and Income Disparity: The Challenge of
Social Anarchy.” Journal Of Economic Issues 32, no. 2 (1998): 473-480
Hoover, Gary A., Ryan A. Compton, and Daniel C. Giedeman. “The Impact of Economic
Freedom on the Black/White Income Gap.” American Economic Review 105, no. 5
(2015): 587-592.
Grusky, David B. “class.” The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Second Edition. Eds. Steven N. Durlauf and Lawrence E. Blume. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics Online. Palgrave Macmillan. 13 October 201
Jilani, Zaid. “How Unequal We Are: The Top 5 Facts You Should Know About The Wealthiest One Percent Of Americans.” ThinkProgress How Unequal We Are The Top 5 Facts You Should Know About The Wealthiest One Percent Of Americans Comments. October 3, 2011. Accessed October 12, 2015.
Keister, Lisa A. and Stephanie Moller “Wealth Inequality in the United States” Annual Review of Sociology Vol. 26 (2000), pp. 63-81. Accessed October 9, 2015
McLaughlin, Lacey. “The Poverty-Crime Connection.” The Poverty-Crime Connection. October
19, 2011. Accessed October 6, 2015
Milanović, Branko. The Haves and the Have-nots: A Brief and Idiosyncratic History of Global
Inequality. New York: Basic Books, 2011.
Quadrini, Vincenzo. “growth and inequality (macro perspectives).” The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Second Edition. Eds. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics Online. Palgrave Macmillan. 13 October 2015
Taibbi, Matt. The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap. New York: Spiegal
and Grau, New 2014
Yamamoto, Daisaku. “Scales of Regional Income Disparities in the USA, 1955-2003.” Journal
of Economic Geography 8, no. 1 (2008): 79-103.
Spencer, I think this a great topic. Wealth inequality in the U.S and other parts of the world dominated by capitalism, has always led to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. I believe you outline your points very well, highlighting the problems that cause poverty and the effects through crime etc. The only thing I had an issue with was your mentionning of Karl Marx, because Karl Marx’s ideologies go hand in hand with your topic maybe you can develop a bit more on that subject. Lastly I think this is a very powerful piece – “What went wrong with the idea of the American dream? I believe that this idea of the “American dream” has actually changed to the “American myth.” In a society where the wealth distribution is so large, it is nearly impossible for all Americans to chase this dream.”
Spencer, I liked how you put your tentative thesis before your writing, so as to make your ideas clearer. The wealth inequality issue continues to cause problems nationally, and I agree that many people are uneducated about this topic. One thing I would suggest in terms of your writing would be to try and remember the three c’s Claire talked about, especially being concise. Avoid redundancy and use as few words as possible to convey your ideas and I think you are on your way. You outlined some solid points and ideas, and did a good job supporting claims with statistics and data. Build off of Marx, because his writings are highly relevant to your topic. I agree with Alvin that this is potentially a powerful piece.
Spencer, I think that you selected a topic that is extremely relevant!! There was a segment on NPR that I think may be helpful to your research link –> http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/12/447919830/watch-live-nobel-prize-in-economics-is-awarded-monday
I feel like throughout your proposal you talk a lot about rich and poor. But it would be interesting do talk more about the middle class (Obama, middle class economics??). You also talk about achieving the American Dream. But maybe you could also talk about the lack of the American Dream, or the myth of America. You pose the question that “We have created a strong system that seems to be okay with some in the sense that if you work hard you will succeed so why change?” maybe be more specific when you are referring to “some” as in the top 1% or upper class. Essentially not the majority of America.
Overall all you have great ideas and I like the topic you picked!!
Spencer this is a very good start to your topic of choice. I think your tentative thesis does very well in outlining the scope of your essay, and its objectives. One main concern I have about your topic is the vastness of it. Your topic is very vast at the moment, and it will be troubling I feel, for you to equally represent the wealth inequality in the economy, social system, and justice system. Each of these is a single topic on its own I feel. To remedy this maybe focus on one or two of these ideas, or incorporate them together with one as the focus of the topic. Meanwhile you could utilize the other two as supplemental information towards your argument and thesis without having to go in-depth about all three sections. On the other hand, I did appreciate your utilization of sources and depth of the research.
I like that you have so many ideas; it’s clear you’ve thought a lot about it! Your topic is relevant, and you’ve got lots of books on your bibliography to consult.
Somehow, though, I found your writing to be a little confusing. Wordiness in some parts might have had something to do with it, or some of the paragraphs having more than one idea, but I had some trouble with following the line of logic. It will probably be solved with polishing and revision, but you might want to reconsider the flow of your writing in the shoes of a reader who doesn’t know a lot about the topic.
Also, in the originality section, you seemed to focus more on the connection to other researches made on the topic, and a lot less on how your paper would contribute differently to the area. This might be solved when you continue with your research and narrow the topic down, as it seems rather broad at the moment.