Political Inequalities Are Cumulative

The United States is said to be the land of equal and ample opportunities, and these opportunities are said to present themselves in equal magnitude no matter what a person’s socioeconomic condition is. In the United States, a child from a working-class family and a child from an upper-class family should both have the same opportunities in life. The socioeconomic status that they were born into should not be able to determine their future level of success. However, more often than not, a child born into a working-class family is more likely to stay at the bottom of the socioeconomic hierarchy, and a child born into an upper-class family is more likely to stay at they top of the socioeconomic hierarchy.

This is because the child from the upper-class family and the child from a working-class family live on two very different fringes of society. On one fringe, children have access to better healthcare, education, and support. Their energy is directed towards things like playing with their friends or drawing with crayons. On the other fringe, some children struggle to find their next meal, some can’t play outside because it’s too dangerous, and some don’t have access to good education. The children from upper-class families, just by being born into the right families, automatically have a higher social standing and better opportunities than those children from working-class families. These conditions pave the way for children of upper-class families to have a life of better circumstances where they can form connections with kids from other upper-class families. More information about how class differences affect child-rearing can be found here.

So, when Dahl said that in today’s society political inequalities are noncumulative, he is wrong. A person’s wealth can and will influence heavily their social standing, level of education, and access to opportunities, and we do not need to look far to see evidence that supports this claim. It is easy to see that our government is full of individuals who have taken advantage of their elevated position in society. One place where we see the condition of political inequality working its magic is when members of society use their legacy to gain admission into ivy league schools.

First, if you have a legacy at an ivy league institution, it can be assumed that you are part of a family with generational wealth. It is likely that your family pertains to the upper cusp of society where your development was not hindered by some of the obstacles that children of working-class families were. Second, by attending an ivy league school, you are provided with connections to potentially influential members of society. This alone elevates your position in society, and it will be easier in the future to take advantage of the connections that were made for you. Third, by attending an ivy league school, your position in society is cemented as one of influence, affluence, and power. Your ivy league degree will take you far in life after you graduate, and you will be presented with opportunities that most Americans will never have. Legacy admission into Ivy League schools isn’t necessarily a detriment to society, but it is an example of some of the inequalities within the United States.

Thomas Cody says:

January 30, 2018 at 10:55 am

Michael,
I agree with most of the points you have made here. I would also add in that it is not only the opportunities that are passed down from parents to children in wealthy families, but it is also physically wealth. Inheritance, ownership of family businesses, houses, and other items are also part of the reason for the lack of wealthy individuals ever falling out of the top tears of the socioeconomic ladder. I would say higher taxes on inheritances and any other sort of transfer of wealth or valuable items between family members, as well as raising income taxes on the wealthy and cutting taxes for the poor would do well to improve this issue in our country.

Akshit Sharma says:

January 31, 2018 at 2:07 pm

Michael, I agree with you and your analysis in this blog post. However, I would like to point out that even though these inequalities are cumulative nowadays, it has simultaneously become relatively easier to break out of the shackles of such inequalities. An example would be the easy access to college education through community colleges and the willingness of people to work while completing their degrees. It most certainly is a longer and more arduous route to the same destination but it has become far better than it used to be, and here’s hoping it continues to improve. Cheers!