When you picture the structure of wealth in our country as a ladder, it is much easier to understand this concept. Technically, anyone has the capability of climbing the ladder, but as the rungs get farther and farther apart, it becomes much harder to move upward. This analogy is especially true for those who start at the lowest part of the ladder. In addition to the growing gap, the amount of aid the government provides to the low income homes in America has decreased. Information from the CBO states that the poorest 20% of the population received more than 50% of the government money transfers in 1979, but in 2007, it had fallen to around 35%. This reduction in financial assistance is substantial and directly harms the bottom percentiles ability to bounce back. The unequal income in America's society is still increasing and the government has not shown sufficient efforts to prevent it. One way the government tries to create wealth equality is through equal education. College specifically is one obstacle that is extremely important in advancing ones status in society. Having a good education can lead to a high paying job; however it is getting harder for an average U.S citizen to obtain one.
The importance of a good education has become absolutely crucial in moving up in society. Having a college education is one of the ultimate tools that someone could have in searching for a good job, however the high enrollment prices makes it difficult to achieve such a title. In the U.S today, someone without a college education can expect positions such as a cashier, or an employee at either McDonalds or Wal-Mart. These are jobs that pay minimum wage or close to it with little to know benefits. Since jobs that only require high school educations have low wages, there is no middle ground for those who aren't college educated. "The whole thrust of the information age has been to reward education and widen the income gap between the educated and the uneducated,"" writes New York Times columnist David Brooks.