[lbo-talk] Re: meanwhile, the US working class......

[Paul]

Julio H. and then Doug H. wrote:
>>I don't know if this has been empirically tested.  But my impression is 
>>that, among the rich countries, the U.S. has more inequality but also 
>>more social mobility.  The latter is the "material basis" for the fantasy 
>>(with or without quotation marks).  I think of the U.S. society like a 
>>casino where you don't have to pay cover, significantly bigger prizes, 
>>but also a larger probability of losing the shirt.
>
>I've read a few papers comparing mobility in the U.S. to elsewhere, mainly 
>Western Europe, and they showed the U.S. little different from other rich 
>countries - either on lifetime or intergenerational mobility. The 
>perception of mobility is much greater here, though.

Post WWII, the U.S. had significantly better income equality than most of 
Europe (by some pre-tax/benefit measures among the very best).  It is only 
since the advent of neo-liberalism has the U.S. plunged to last place in 
among the developed countries.

Any of the studies on mobilility worth reccomending?

Paul