Inequality in the United States

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Inequality in the United States

• The Persisting American Dilemma

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Dimensions of Inequality

• Test Scores
• Educational Attainment
• Unemployment and Occupations
• Earnings
• Income
• Wealth
• Residential Segregation

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(No Transcript)
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Percentage of 25-29 year olds with selected
education
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Group Median Percent Own Value of
Income Poor Home Home White 37,630 9.2 69
.1 80,300 Black 22,470 29.5 43.8 50,500 America
n Indian 21,750 30.9 53.8 51,900 Asian 41,250
14.1 52.2 178,300 Hispanic 25,060 25.3 42.4 77
,200 ---------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
- Source Harrison and Bennett, 1995 based on
1990 Census data
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Residential Segregation
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Indices of Dissimilarity
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Hispanic/White Segregation
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Asian/White Segregation
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Possible Solutions?

• What are we currently doing?
• What should we be doing?
• What are the prospects for the future?

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Policy Solutions William Julius Wilson

• Create national performance standards for schools
  and provide support to inner city schools to help
  them meet these standards
• Improve family support programs
• France family leave, medical care, child care
• Move toward economic integration of cities and
  suburbs

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Wilson Solving the Jobs Problem

• Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit
• Improve Accessibility to Suburban Jobs
• Increase Public Sector Employment