Question

Consider the following quote from chapter 14 of the eText: ”The gap between the rich and poor in the United States …has been widening for some time. In recent years, the gap has been the widest since our government began to keep records on it in 1947”. For example, one report states that: “Since 2009, 95% of U.S. economic gains have gone to the wealthiest 1% of the population” (“Income Inequality: Why Does the Gap Keep Widening?” The Week Feb. 7, 2014).

Think about the growing income inequality in the U.S. think about the widening gap between the rich and the rest of us in America, How has the economic trend for middle-class Americans affected them? How as it affected you?

[2] Two examples of the marketization of society today that Sandel discusses are cash for grades and pay for getting around long lines. What, if anything, is wrong with these practices? Beyond what Sandel discusses, think of at least one social, personal, or relational good or value that you think would be negatively affected by marketization. And explain why.

Answer 1

Think about the growing income inequality in the U.S. think about the widening gap between the rich and the rest of us in America,

Growing income inequality is a problem across the globe. It causes a rift in the general public in which some people tend to have better access to resources such as healthcare, education etc while the major population lacks the same. In the United States, income inequality poses a big challenge to be managed by the government like elsewhere where the issue exists into play.

The United States is known for its development, technological advancements and free flow of capital and manpower. However, recent indicators have shown the divide among the rich and poor is ever expanding.

The problem with the economy largely happens because of lack of mobility of social classes. A poor person has lesser access to healthcare, nutrition and education and stays poor because he fails to get a job because of lower skills. The rich on the other hand can generate more money due to increased economic activity.

The middle class is the one which creates a bigger divide. While, wages can easily be manipulated and set by the rich class for the middle class which works in jobs, the lower wages compared to profits translates into lesser availability for those that are extremely poor.

How has the economic trend for middle-class Americans affected them? How as it affected you?

The economic trend for the middle class in the United States has been such, that they tend to earn way lesser than the actual profits of the corporations. Companies earn way more than they actually pay to the employees. The employees basically comprise of middle class people while meagre jobs are done by the lower class.

Because of the trend of the middle class Americans to grow only by a meagre percentage each year, when overall profits increase by 30-40% each year average means that the rich people grow at a much faster rate than the middle class people.

Also, since the middle class readily accepts the hike given, the lower class has to go on working at a rate way lesser. This translates into difficulty in class mobility which refers to the transgression of one from one social class to the other.

Effects on Us:-

The direct implication of this for us is that while we work in conventional jobs which tend to increase the salaries by a definite percentage regardless of the profits earned by the company we work for, the rich become more richer and have a free hand in increasing the prices of products and services. As a result over the years, the gap only increases and our access to resources remains unchanged respectively.

Two examples of the marketization of society today that Sandel discusses are cash for grades and pay for getting around long lines. What, if anything, is wrong with these practices? Beyond what Sandel discusses, think of at least one social, personal, or relational good or value that you think would be negatively affected by marketization. And explain why.

The Marketization of society as described by Sandals would eliminate the need for competition and replace it with a model that would allow those with higher access to money, to rule the country without bothering for actual results.

Most countries aim at considering a rich and poor person alike. This means that even though, two people could have different income levels, the level of competition which they face during exams for an example or the ammount of wait one has to do in a line is relatively the same.

Now, marketing of educational facilities, or lines would only cause those with money to make a mockery of the entire system which is most likely to fail.

Consider Facilities such as Hospitals, Courts etc. If such market systems are allowed, those in need for urgent care can be ignored in favor of those who are ready to pay for money to skip a line. This would lead to larger public outrage and power to be in the hands of very few people who own larger sources of money respectively. Such a situation is important for the society to ignore and not have in the country respectively.

Please feel free to ask your doubts in the comments section if any.