1A. The disappearance of the American Dream due to increasing economic disparity between economic classes: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/21/mitt-romney-video-killed-american-dream. What are your thoughts about the points made in this article? Do you agree that the American Dream is dead? Why or why not?
Reference:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/21/mitt-romney-video-killed-american-dream
1B. Negative stereotypes can sometimes influence whether necessary programs retain their funding, in addition to causing emotional damage to individuals in need of assistance. This article explores this issue further: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/06/the_maximum_family_grant_and_family_caps_a_racist_law_that_punishes_the.html. What are your thoughts on the idea that funding cuts, and caps may be influenced by politicians’ and society’s stereotypes about individuals on welfare? What can be done to change this?
Reference:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/06/the-maximum-family-grant-and-family-caps-a-racist-law-that-punishes-the-poor.html
1C. I wanted to share a concept called the “poverty trap” (described here: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/Poverty-Trap). What are your thoughts about this concept? Do you think there is some truth to this? How have our current economic conditions and policies set up individuals (and generations of individuals) to fall into this trap? How might welfare policies, or general economic policies in the US, try to protect individuals from these traps?
Reference:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/Poverty-Trap
