Investing in Mobility and Saving the American Dream

This past decade has been marked by lackluster economic growth, extreme social and political division and unrest. Working age men are dropping out of the labor force at unprecedented rates, and participation in civic life is declining. Our academic and cultural leaders dogmatically claim that income inequality is underscoring it all.

Along with this ironclad consensus comes another that firmly believes government can and should solve this problem, prompting policy solutions aimed exclusively at rectifying material inequality.

But far from alleviating poverty and reducing income inequality, these policies generally make things worse. Elected officials of every political persuasion increasingly float promises of even more government intervention into every aspect of life including more wealth redistribution, trade protectionism, increases in the minimum wage, and other employment regulations.

I founded the Archbridge Institute on the belief that this is a misguided focus. What has mattered now and throughout American history is the belief that everyone should have a shot at the American Dream of upward mobility, earned success, and personal achievement.

Underlying this belief is the trust in a simple truth, one in which we are now in danger of forgetting—given the opportunity, people can and will improve their own lives and the lives of those around them. This should be the focus of all our policy conversations.

Continue reading at Donors Trust.