Allison Chappell

Intro to Writing 1010

Monday & Wednesday, 5:30 PM class

Making the American Dream Accessible for our Middle-Class

The American Dream is defined in many different ways for many different people,
whether it be by gender, social class, even nationality. Middle-class Americans, for example,
have had to move beyond more material-focused ideals of what defines success in the form of
luxury items like sports cars and vacation homes, to more realistic ideals such as the ability to
live debt-free, and having the money not only to pay the bills but to also have enough left over to
save or invest in their futures. The current economic situation in our country thanks in large part
to the great recession, has made this particular dream difficult if not impossible for the middle
class, while the more affluent one percent just keep getting richer. In order for middle-class
Americans to live comfortably rather than the paycheck-to-paycheck route so prevalent in
todays economy, the government must put more emphasis on investments in not only education,
but in creating good jobs, and helping people with the tools necessary to build a financial safety
net that will collectively aid in sustained economic growth for our nation.
There are many people in our country who are opposed to any kind of government
intervention, however, and actually prefer that society emphasizes the importance of personal
responsibility instead. According to Paul Krugman in his article Confronting Inequality,
Americans still tend to say that individuals can make their own place in society. In a survey, 61
percent of Americans agree that People get rewarded for their effort. (565) While people may
maintain this belief, the facts state otherwise.

While I understand where people are coming from when they oppose governmental
intervention, I believe that it simply isnt enough to rely on personal responsibility. Krugman
also explains the benefits of governmental tax reforms, such as a broader effort to restore the
progressivity of U.S. taxes, and use the revenue to pay for more benefits that help lower-and
middle-income families. (573) Its clear that the inequality that exists in this country is keeping
the middle class from succeeding. When the top earners are making 7% of all income and
receiving ridiculous tax breaks, and the middle class is being forced to bear the brunt of the tax
responsibility for everything from education to health care on top of already debt-laden lifestyles,
the need is urgent for tax reforms to assist in improving the quality of life for our lower and
middle-class citizens.
Increasing funding for education is key to helping Americas middle-class grow and
succeed in todays economy. In his article Inequality Has Been Going on Foreverbut That
Doesnt Mean Its Inevitable, David Leonhardt observes that educational attainment has
decreased, while inequality has increased. (545). He further goes on to say that increasing
educational opportunities will obtain capital in the form of knowledge which brings long-term
reforms. (546) This is an important observation, and really goes to show where the priorities
need to begin to turn things around. There must be adequate spending on quality education for
our young people, with programs that teach them exactly how to succeed beginning in at least
their freshman year of high school. This is the point when were really pushing kids to get
serious, its all about getting through high school. More emphasis must be made on what happens
next, and how exactly these kids can work to succeed by helping to improve test scores and
decrease drop-out rates (Roemer 620). Not only should there be emphasis on the traditional
college degrees, but also on skilled trade degrees for those that may not succeed in a traditional

route. Any post-secondary education, regardless of degree, that increases skill and knowledge
serves to increase that valuable human capital that is such a fundamental building block for our
nation.
With educational reforms in place to give people the skills to compete in a competitive
job market where skills are highly desired and lead to better pay, we must then focus on where
these people go next to become successful and grow in the form of job improvement and
creation, since things are nothing like they used to be several decades ago. In his article titled
RIP the Middle Class: 1946-2013, Edward McClelland writes that The jobs were plentiful
and readily available right out of high schoolcalling it a workers paradise (550). He states
that in the 1940s to 1970s, there were plentiful jobs for blue-collar workers, and economic
expansion continued on until the 1980s. McClelland further observes that our current state its
as though the New Deal and the modern labor movement never happened. (551) Knowing this,
the government must provide more enhanced protections than were offered under the previous
New Deal, such as: raising the minimum wage, reducing obstacles to union organizing, and
providing benefits for workers unable to obtain them on their own (558).
With better jobs and pay, and even better tax incentives for the middle-class and
employers that are offering those jobs, theres more opportunity for saving and investing for the
future, as well as bolstering our economy. Members of the middle-class will have an opportunity
to save for those unexpected expenses that can literally devastate a family, often leading to
complete financial ruin, and companies would have more capital to employ more people and
keep them. Brandon King defines the American Dream in his essay The American Dream:
Dead, Alive, or on Hold? as the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for
the future (611). This observation is accurate given the state of our economy today. People are

often drowning in debt, whether it be due to use of credit to make ends meet, predatory lending
issues, unexpected medical expenses, etc., so not having that little bit of cushion after the bills
are paid can bring stress and misery to families. King goes on to state that If the Great
Recession has taught us anything, it is that planning for the future by saving more and enacting
policies that sustain economic growth are what will keep the American Dream Alive.(616) As
long as the middle class follows this advice, in Kings opinion, the middle class will prosper.
King also mentions that the government funding of Wall Street and struggling business makes
the economy healthier. Tax credits also provide incentives for business to hire more workers and
increase wages (613).
In conclusion, if we truly want to revitalize our middle-class and really bolster our
economy while were recovering from the great recession, weve got to push our government for
more funding for education, and really counsel our future workforce on what it really takes to
make it in todays economy, as well as make sure that there are actual jobs out there with livable
wages and stability. This combined with government-backed tax incentives for people and the
businesses that will sustain their living, are a great start to boost our struggling middle-class. It
would truly be the American Dream for the middle-class to be able to re-claim the financial
security and comfort that they were afforded decades ago.

CITATION
Leonhardt, David
Inequality Has Been Going on Foreverbut That Doesnt Mean its Inevitable
They Say I Say, with Readings
3rd Edition, 545-546
Eds. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein and Russell Durst, W.W. Norton & Co. New York
2015 PRINT

Roemer, Tim
America Remains the Worlds Beacon of Success
They Say I Say, with Readings
3rd Edition, 618-623
Eds. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein and Russell Durst, W.W. Norton & Co. New York
2015 PRINT

McClelland, Edward
RIP the Middle Class: 1946-2013
They Say I Say, with Readings
3rd Edition, 550-558
Eds. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein and Russell Durst, W.W. Norton & Co. New York
2015 PRINT

King, Brandon
The American Dream: Dead, Alive or on Hold?
They Say I Say, with Readings
3rd Edition, 610-618
Eds. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein and Russell Durst, W.W. Norton & Co. New York
2015 PRINT