The 99 Percent

Does Upward Mobility Really Matter?

Occupy Wall Street made income inequality the hot topic, and conservatives usually respond that income mobility is more important. But in The Daily, Reihan Salam says even that may not be the best way to think about making our economy work for more Americans. We don’t want a permeable income structure where people are as likely fall as they are to rise. The real goals should be improving absolute mobility—whether people are able to earn more than their parents—and targeting the downward mobility that oppresses the bottom rungs of society. “We should instead focus on improving upward absolute mobility across the spectrum, and ensuring that households at the bottom are finding more opportunities to earn and save money.”