What is Economic Mobility and the American Dream
I came across a profound video from The Pew Charitable Trust. This video animates the difference between the two ways of measuring economic mobility: absolute and relative economic mobility. Take a look.
In short, economic mobility is the foundation of the American Dream. A dream that parents dream for their children and children dream for their parents.
A dream that is based on the belief that hard work pays off. No matter who you are or where you come from, if you work hard, you will be rewarded.
Without the American Dream, there is no United States of America.
In order to keep the American Dream alive, it’s the duty of every individual who achieves their own personal American dream to ensure economic mobility is woven within the fabric of our country. Changes to tax laws, educational policy, how we provide low-income assistance, the healthcare system, as well as banking and housing regulations should all be driven by the goal of sustaining the American Dream.
If you care about the sustainability of our country for future generations, you should vote based on whether or not a policy helps or hurts the American Dream, not solely based on your own self-interest. This should have nothing to do with partisan politics. This is not socialism or some left leaning idea of transferring wealth. This is the American Dream we are talking about, this is our way of life.
I want a smaller government, low taxes, and less regulation as much as most conservatives I know. However, how can you push for these policies without knowing (or caring) how these changes will impact the American Dream.
Reports that measure unemployment rates, GDP, construction spending, jobless claims, retail sales, home sales, and a number of other economic indicators are not indications of the long term sustainability of our country.
The fact is, there is no official government report that measures economic mobility specifically or the attainability of the American Dream in general. This is something we must have. Without it, all we have in our government and in partisan leadership is the blind leading the blind.