2/12/2005

Are there Class?

In the article, Class warfare without class, by Donald Luskin it talks about how there is not truly class in America because “class implies a rigid structure, with little to no mobility, and easily defined borders.” The thought of placing a group of people into levels depending on what they make is harder than one thinks. Where are the lines? How much or how little does one have to make to put them in the rich or poor category? Can this clearly be defined? Think of someone making $50,000 a year, but has $20,000 in school loans and a family with two kids. The lines are not clear as to how much freedom there is in an income.
The article then goes on to discuss if there are institutional barriers in which make it harder for people to advance. Yes, anyone in America can get money for a loan which can make it so that person can advance. There is a push for people to become successful in America too which means, money for schooling and so on. Yet, there is a tendency for the people at the bottom level not to make it to the top. This brings up the fact of regulation and how it makes it harder for the bottom level to advance due to the fact that money is important when it comes to pay off the right people to get what one wants.
The question is are there class and if so are they affected by institutional barriers?

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