INEQUALITY IN THE USA
There are 3 sections in this unit...
•People
•Social and Economic
•Political
PEOPLE
• Population
• Settlement Patterns
• Immigration
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
• Links to groups in the population
• Evidence of social inequality…
Crime, Health, Education, Housing
• Evidence of economic inequality…
Poverty, Unemployment
• Government responses
• Evidence of progress
• The USA is one of the wealthiest countries in the
world where many have worked hard to make
money and achieve the American Dream.
• However, this is not equally spread across all
population groups in America.
• For many, the American Reality is a life of
poverty and discrimination. Many depend on
welfare in a country where capitalist ideology
favours a strong work ethic and minimum state
intervention.
• Therefore, America is a very unequal country,
especially amongst different ethnic groups and
family types.
INEQUALITY IN THE USA
• Poverty in America – Documentary (Feb 2012)
RESEARCH TASK
You will work individually
to carry out research on the
issue of inequality in the USA.
You will use a range of resources to find...
• What the inequalities are
• Evidence of inequalities
• Causes of inequalities
• Effects of inequalities
INEQUALITIES IN CRIME
• A disproportionate number of blacks make up numbers of arrests,
prosecutions & prison sentences.
• Most crime occurs in inner city, economically disadvantaged areas –
with large black & Hispanic populations.
• USA is biggest user of prisons in the world, Texas has the highest
prison population.
• There is evidence of discrimination in the handing out of prison
sentences – blacks and Hispanics receive longer sentences than
whites.
• White Americans more likely to commit rape and hate crimes,
whereas blacks are more likely to be arrested for murder.
• Blacks are also more likely to be the victims of murder.
• Blacks over-represented in the number of arrests for violent crime
whereas Asians are under-represented.
• In death penalty cases there is a race-of-victim or race-of-defendant
pattern. More likely to receive this sentence if victim is white.
INEQUALITIES IN EDUCATION
• US educational system one of the most unequal in the world.
• Pupils experience different learning opportunities not just because of
race but also due to their social status.
• In wealthiest 10% of school districts educational spending is ten times
more than the poorest 10%.
• Hispanics have high dropout rates and low college completion rates –
mainly due to financial pressure to support the family.
• A high school diploma (at least!) is essential to avoid poverty.
• Blacks and Hispanics who drop out find it almost impossible to earn a
decent income.
• In ghetto areas educational ambition can be smothered by a feeling
of apathy towards school – feel left behind and segregated.
• Asians achieve the most – double college graduate rates of whites.
• More Asians employed in management and professional occupations.
• They place a great importance on education and are the most
educated group.
INEQUALITIES IN HOUSING
• A large gap in home ownership still exists between
whites and other ethnic minority groups.
• Total home ownership rates have dropped –
repeated in the rates for blacks and Hispanics.
• The dream of becoming a home owner is only true
for less than half of black and Hispanic Americans.
• Blacks and Hispanics can find it difficult to get a
mortgage due to the area they live in or because
they are unemployed/living on a low income.
• They buy what they can afford or rent – congregate
in areas together and live in poorer quality housing
(ghettos).
INEQUALITIES IN HEALTH
• Americans need private medical insurance to pay for health
costs.
• Ethnic minorities more likely to be uninsured, receive poor
quality care, suffer more health problems and die prematurely.
• Usually uninsured due to unemployment, employer does not
provide cover or because they do not qualify for government
funded care.
• Native Americans, Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to rate
their health as fair or poor in comparison to whites and Asians.
• Black women have the highest death rates from heart disease,
breast and lung cancer, stroke and pregnancy among women of
all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
• Native Americans are more likely to suffer from alcoholism and
diabetes.
• Infant mortality is twice as high for black infants as it is for white
infants.
INEQUALITIES IN POVERTY/INCOME
• Approx. 40% of Americans will find themselves below the Federal
Poverty Line at some point within a 10 year period.
• Black Americans have the highest poverty level overall however,
Hispanics have seen the biggest increase in poverty (but still below
the level of Blacks).
• Blacks and Hispanics more likely to experience social and economic
inequality as a result of poverty compared to other groups.
• They become trapped in the poverty cycle.
• This has created a ‘Black Underclass’ living in ghettos and finding it
hard to get a proper education, employment and health care cover.
• Many have to rely on welfare for their income due to limited job
opportunities – blacks are the biggest group receiving welfare.
• Main cause of poverty for Hispanics is the rise in immigration.
• Less Cubans living in poverty than Mexicans and Puerto Ricans as
they have a more stable population and have achieved the American
Dream.
INEQUALITIES IN EMPLOYMENT
• Recession has led to a sharp rise in unemployment for all ethnic
groups.
• But this is not shared equally – biggest rise in the rates for blacks
which is almost double the rate for Asians and whites.
• Due to location – many blacks live in areas which are struggling due
to changes in industry and the economy.
• Also because blacks and Hispanics are concentrated in employment
sectors hardest hit by the recession e.g. construction.
• Black and Hispanic employment rates are also lower than whites even
in times when the economy is booming.
• Those ethnic minorities who are working are more likely than whites
to be working in jobs which pay a lower wage thus giving them a low
income.
• There is a link to family type – black families are more likely to be
lone parent households which makes if difficult to balance work and
family commitments.
• Asians seek out occupation with increased job security.
Attempts to reduce Social and
Economic Inequalities in the USA
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
• Links to groups in the population
• Evidence of social inequality…
Crime, Health, Education, Housing
• Evidence of economic inequality…
Poverty, Unemployment
• Government responses
• Evidence of progress
RESPONSES TO HEALTH INEQUALITIES
Medicare
Provides health care cover to those aged 65 and
over.
Medicaid.
Health care cover for the poor (those below the
Federal Poverty Line.)
Children’s Health Reauthorisation Act (2009)
Provided just under $33 billion to provide health
care cover for over 11 million children who do not
qualify for Medicaid but are too poor to afford
health insurance. This is paid for through
increased taxes on tobacco/cigarettes.
Health Savings Accounts
People who have health insurance can put money
into these accounts to pay towards any health
expenses. The money saved is not subject to any
taxes or charges
Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (2010)
President Obama’s flagship health reform bill.
It has made health insurance compulsory but also
stops health insurance companies from dropping
patients from their books or refusing to cover
patients with certain conditions.
RESPONSES TO HOUSING INEQUALITIES
Housing and Economic Recovery Act (2008)
This act has increased government funding for
community development block grants.
It has also created a first-time home buyer credit to
help those trying to get a mortgage for the first time.
RESPONSE TO CRIME INEQUALITIES
Gang Prevention, Intervention & Suppression Act
Passed in February 2009, it has increased law
enforcement resources committed to investigation
and prosecution of violent gangs.
It aims to deter and punish violent gang crime and
protect citizens/communities from violent criminals.
It also plans to expand and improve gang prevention
Programmes.
RESPONSES TO EDUCATION INEQUALITIES
No Child Left Behind Act
Makes states set tests in basic skills – reading, writing
and maths.
The results are published along with attendance
figures - the aim is to push the performance of
schools.
Students identified as struggling after these tests will
be given additional help.
The Bilingual Education Act
Pupils given the right to be taught in their native
language. Over 80 languages are used in schools
throughout the USA.
Opportunity Scholarship Programme
Provided in certain states e.g. Florida and Washington
DC.
Provided grants to low-income families so they can
pay for extra tuition therefore, improving the students
educational chances.
Also used to identify the most able students and
provide them with grants to
enable them to go to college.
College Opportunity & Affordability Act (2008)
Increased funding for colleges who serve low income
and ethnic minority populated areas.
Aims to make student lending easier and fairer.
Also wants to keep tuition costs down e.g. when
purchasing materials such as textbooks.
The American government has also used….
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION …
… to combat inequalities in education.
RESPONSES TO POVERTY/INCOME INEQUALITIES
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Money given to states by the federal government to
provide welfare payments to poor families in return
for looking for work (Welfare to Work programme)
Food Stamps
Provided by Dept. of Agriculture – funding for low
income families to purchase food. Often through a
bank-style debit card rather than paper coupons.
Child Care & Development Block Grant
Money given to states by the federal government for
child-care assistance to low-income families.
RESPONSES TO EMPLOYMENT INEQUALITIES
The American Jobs Act (2011)
Gives tax cuts to small businesses to help them grow
and create jobs.
Cuts the taxes paid by over 160 million workers.
Prevented 280,000 teachers from losing their jobs.
Set up the ‘Pathways to Work’ programme for the long term
unemployed e.g. tax credits given to employers hiring from
this group.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION …
… has also been used to combat inequalities
in employment as well as education!
What was the problem?


That beginning is freedom; and the barriers to that
freedom are tumbling down. Freedom is the right to
share, share fully and equally, in American society to vote, to hold a job, to enter a public place, to go
to school. It is the right to be treated in every
part of our national life as a person equal in dignity
and promise to all others.
You do not take a person who, for years, has been
hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to
the starting line of a race and then say, "you are
free to compete with all the others," and still justly
believe that you have been completely fair. Thus it
is not enough just to open the gates of opportunity.
All our citizens must have the ability to walk
through those gates.
 Education
is needed to ensure a basic standard of
living and avoid poverty.
 Jobs
to provide income which means people can
provide for their family.
 Decent
homes in decent surroundings and an
equal chance to learn.
 Welfare
families.
 Care
and social programs designed to support
for the sick is a basic right.
Affirmative Action (aap’s)
• Defined as positive discrimination.
• Introduced to prevent discrimination towards
ethnic minorities and women.
HOW IT IS DONE:
Employment: Preference given to ethnic
minorities and women when hiring and promoting
staff. A certain proportion or QUOTA of the
workforce had to be minorities or female.
Education: Schools and universities had to ensure
they had a racially and sexually mixed amount of
students.
Affirmative Action Programmes are
unfair – what is good in theory is
not good in practise.
PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNMENT
RESPONSES TO INEQUALITITES
• Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act has not
significantly increased numbers with health
insurance.
• It will cost A LOT of money to implement –
approx. $940bn over 10 years.
• Many Americans are not happy that their tax
dollars will be used to pay for those who cannot
cover their own health.
PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNMENT
RESPONSES TO INEQUALITITES
• Only 11% of eligible students have applied for the
Opportunity Scholarship Programme.
• They have to pay for part of the cost of their
tuition under the arrangements of this
programme - they cannot afford this.
PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNMENT
RESPONSES TO INEQUALITITES
• TANF has actually increased poverty levels for
some families.
• Because it is only temporary and families have to
find work under the arrangements, some end up
having to take jobs which pay very poorly and
leave them with less money.
• Some parents have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to
make ends meet – this is not good for family life.
SUMMARY OF SOCIAL & ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
Affirmative Action:
• How it works
Finish notes from book
• For & Against
Handout
Social & Economic Progress:
• Any evidence?
Handout – key points
Continued Inequality:
• Government response Notes from screen
Evidence
Booklets
Essay on Inequality:
• Model plan
Handout