SOC ∙ Ms. Wiley ∙ Intro to Social & Economic Inequality, D___
Name:
For most of history, “everybody in the world was poor,” points out economist Jeffrey Sachs. As
societies got richer, they developed different attitudes to poverty. The Ancient Greeks seemed to
think poverty was essential: “Drive me, Poverty, out of Greece! That would be a disaster for
humanity! If wealth were equally distributed, then no-one will ever work again.” The Chinese on the
other hand, developed sophisticated programs to prevent famine and extreme poverty. As Confucius
said, “In a well governed country, poverty is something to be ashamed of. But in a badly governed
country, wealth is something to be ashamed of.”
1.
What is poverty? What drives it? What stops it?
2.
How have attitudes towards the poor changed over the years?
3.
How do you personally view the poor? Have you ever done anything to help the poor?
4.
In an ideal America, how much inequality would exist? Explain.
Poverty and Inequality Statistics, World Bank, 2012
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According to the World Bank, 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day. That’s its definition of extreme poverty. But a
further 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day.
An estimated [my guess: ___________ ; actual: ___________] children die each day due to poverty – that is [my guess:
___________ ; actual: ___________] children a minute; one child dies every [my guess: ___________ ; actual: ___________]
sceonds.
Approximately 600 million children live in extreme poverty.
Around 2.6 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation and about 885 million people do not have access to clean
water.
In the US, one of the richest nations in the world, [my guess: ___________ ; actual: ___________] children are homeless –
that’s 1 in [my guess: ___________ ; actual: ___________] children in America who experience homelessness each year.
In 1965, CEOs earned around [my guess: ___________ ; actual: ___________] times as much as the average worker in
America. Today, according to conservative estimates, they earn [my guess: ___________ ; actual: ___________] times as
much.
The top 1% of US households has 42.7% of all US financial wealth.
The 400 richest Americans control more wealth than the bottom half of the country – that’s 150 million people.
Between 1975 and 2009, the top 5% of US families saw their real incomes increase by [my guess: ___________ ; actual:
___________] % while the lowest 5% saw a decrease of [my guess: ___________ ; actual: ___________] %.
The gap in test scores between rich and poor American children is roughly 30-40% wider than it was 25 years ago.
5.
Which statistic did you find most shocking? Why?
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Park Avenue: Money, Power, and the American Dream, from Why Poverty?, 2012
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) presents his take on
the gap between rich and poor Americans in Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream. Gibney contends that America's
richest citizens have "rigged the game in their favor," and created unprecedented inequality in the United States.
Nowhere, Gibney asserts, is this more evident than on Park Avenue in New York. 740 Park in Manhattan is currently home to the
highest concentration of billionaires in the country. Across the river, less than five miles away, Park Avenue runs through the South
Bronx, home to the poorest congressional district in the United States.
In Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream, Gibney states that while income disparity has always existed in the U.S., it
has accelerated sharply over the last 40 years. As of 2010, the 400 richest Americans controlled more wealth than the bottom 50
percent of the populace — 150 million people. In the film, Gibney explains why he believes upward mobility is increasingly out of
reach for the poor.
Viewing questions:
6.
Record some of opening statistics and arguments shared/made by the filmmakers:
7.
Describe the results of the Monopoly experiment:
8.
How are some disadvantaged before birth?
9.
Describe conditions in the South Bronx:
10. Describe mobility in the U.S. compared to other democracies:
11. What has happened in the last 30 years with regards to wealth inequality?
12. Describe conditions in Park Avenue:
13. How does wealth and politics intersect in America?
14. How does the tax code benefit highly wealthy individuals?
15. Who are the Koch brothers? How have they impacted American politics?
16. How do the filmmakers describe the Tea Party’s conception of “freedom”?
17. What was the Path to Prosperity Act? Who did it hurt and who did it help?
18. What does almost everyone agree is the most important thing for social mobility in America?
19. Why did a Catholic individual challenge Congressman Paul Ryan on his budget plan?
20. Complete the sentence: “Taxes are the price you pay for ________________________.”
21. How do the nation’s most profitable companies pay so few taxes?
22. What has happened to tax rates for millionaires?
23. How were huge tax breaks for the wealthy justified at the time? What was the impact of the cuts?
24. How were big investment companies and banks HELPED by the U.S. government during the 2008 recession?
25. Why have unions declined over recent decades? How does this erode the power of the working class?
26. Summarize the closing statements on capitalism, wealth, and opportunity in America:
Post-viewing questions:
27. Based on the video, what do you think the filmmakers would like to see changed about American politics and economics? What
would they like changed about attitudes towards wealth and poverty? Which of these ideas would you support/oppose? Why?
28. What is your reaction to the film? What did you agree with? Disagree with? Explain.