Essay 3 Income Inequality

 Alana Brady

Professor Werry

RWS200

8, April 2014

Income Inequality

Income inequality is the difference between individuals or populations in the distribution of their assets, wealth, or income. It has been a constant struggle for the American people, especially the lower class. Many of us wonder, what caused most of the growth to go towards the middle class and top earners, with the disparity becoming more extreme the further one goes up in the income distribution? Well, with decentralization, self-ownership, hard work, and education, these people earn their way towards success. The rest of society is blaming those top earners for consuming all of the money and the government for controlling how the market works. The American people are battling one another for a better economy, but in order to fix it we need to understand the main cause for income inequality. The problem is that too many people are put into poverty and have no drive for getting out. We need the empowerment of the people to mobilize the self-help efforts of the poor, rather than providing them with social welfare. In this paper, I will provide three different texts and their different approaches about poverty. In the first text “More Welfare, More Poverty”, by Michael D. Tanner, Tanner believes that we need the work of fighting poverty not coming from government but from the engines of civil society. In the second text, “To fix Income Inequality, The Have-Nots Must Become the Do-Somethings”, by Maura Pennington, Pennington believes that we need to establish stable institutions to empower people to be free and productive and they will prosper. In the third text “Inequality For All”, by Robert Reich, he believes that we need to protect the people who cannot protect themselves by putting them first.

In Tanner’s text “More Welfare, More Poverty”, Tanner wants government spending on social welfare programs to end. In order for poverty to stop growing, tanner believes that the work needs to come from the American people and not go to the government for money. Taking money from the hard working people to give to the people put into poverty isn’t helping them grow, it is making them hopeless. Tanner states that the more welfare there, the more poverty there will be. He says,

“Throwing money at the problem has neither reduced poverty nor made the poor self-sufficient. But government welfare programs have torn at the social fabric of the country and been a significant factor in increasing out-of-wedlock births with all of their attendant problems”(Tanner p.1).

Tanner believes that people are just giving money to the poor not realizing that there is an increase in birth. It is almost like people in poverty are cheating the system and taking advantage of what they are being given. If people in poverty are complaining about income inequality, then why are they sitting in poverty still? Tanner believes that there are no jobs being given to these people. Tanner says, “The surest ways to stay out of poverty are to finish school; not get pregnant outside marriage; and get a job, any job, and stick with it”(Tanner p.1). In order to get a job and to grow as a person, one in poverty shouldn’t be failing to get an education, they need to work hard to get a real job. Tanner wants to fight poverty and end government policies because clearly they are not helping the people in poverty. If they are taken away then the people will inhibit growth and jobs on their own. The main goal is to not just throw money at poverty because it is only weakening out of poverty and start a new life.

            In the second text “To fix Income Inequality, The Have-Nots Must Become the Do-Somethings”, by Maura Pennington, Pennington believes that we need to establish stable institutions to empower people to be free and productive and they will prosper. Pennington states that wealth is not the culprit and people need to stop calling it wealth inequality instead of income inequality. Many people blame the top earners for having the most money. Well, with no empowerment of the people, no problem will be solved. Pennington says, “ Redistribution of a static supply of resources accomplishes nothing and makes no one richer” (Pennington p.1). She is saying that by handing the poor more money, income inequality won’t lower. By encouraging people to get jobs, get an education, and work hard will only lead the people stuck in poverty towards success. Many of the top earners are growing while the people put in poverty are distressing. Pennington says, “ It should not depress us, it should inspire us”(Pennington, p.2). Pennington wants people who are stuck in poverty to have the inspiration to succeed rather than sitting around complaining about being poor. The only way to have success is to work hard to get to the top. In order to solve inequality we need the empowerment of the people to drive people out of poverty.

            Robert Reich, who created the documentary called “Inequality For All”, wanted to inspire the American people to get up and strive for success. He brought up 6 different directions you can go to solve income inequality. One of the things he mentioned way mobilizing the people. Many poor people blame the government regulations and the rich for consuming all of the money. Well Reich says instead of dreading on the top earners, we need to be inspired. With all the negativity and battles with the different unions, income inequality isn’t being solved. The main issue is not focusing on the American people and ways that we can build this economy to get better. Reich states that we need to stop complained about one other. Like how the middle class complains about giving money to people in poverty, and like how the poor hates on the top earns for consuming all the money. Reich wonders why people continue to battle each other instead of trying to fix the main problem. No matter what class you are in, in order to rise individually, we all need the self motivation to grow. For that to all to happen, each class has to mobilize each other. You can get help on your own, so the government needs to put the main focus on the people because in reality, we are they ones who control the economy.

            Looking back at all three texts, they all intertwine in many ways. Although their approaches to solve inequality are slightly different, the main focuses are economic empowerment and the mobilization of the people. In my personal opinion, I agree with Robert Reich not only people his documentary was very inspiring but also because he worked in office, he had a personal experience with the three decades of income inequality. I believe that we do need to put the people first instead of working on all these government policies. I strongly feel that people stuck in poverty will never get out if other people don’t mobilize them and inspire them to do so. I understand that they feel hopeless and unimportant but, if the work hard, get an education, and strive for success, they I believe that they are able to get out of poverty. With out any of that, how do any of us expect to rise and grow as individuals. We all need the motivation and drive to get up and change income inequality together.

Work Cited

Inequality for all. Dir. Jacob Kornbluth. , 2013

Pennington, Maura. "To Fix Income Inequality, The Have-Nots Must Become The Do-

            Somethings." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 8 Mar. 2013. Web. .

Tanner, D. Michael. "More Welfare, More Poverty." Cato Institute.   

            Charlotte Observer, 12 Sept. 2006. Web. .