Inequality exists all around us. One of the inequalities concerns the income received by a person or a member of a family. This income includes wages, salaries, pensions, and interest derived from assets. Income inequality refers to the different incomes within a given population. This inequality is particularly high in the United States. This inequality stems from changes within the U.S. economic structure along with changes in our government policy. At least 80% of all citizens work in service-related jobs. These types of jobs pay much less than the manufacturing jobs that dominated the American economy. With the current negative economic situation, most employers are laying off employees and perhaps replacing them with lower-paid temporary or part-time employees. Or these employers are moving their companies to foreign nations with cheaper labor. Government policies have brought unions where it is difficult to recruit new members and have influence. These policies also made it possible to cut taxes for the rich and reduce benefits for the poor. These policies have also allowed the value of the minimum wage to decline, thus keeping the incomes of poor and working-class Americans low. The United States government establishes a poverty level or threshold that represents the minimum standard of living for a family of two adults and two children. In 2009, this level was set at $21,834. Any family whose income is less than this amount is considered to be in the poor social class. The poor do not belong to just one race. It runs through American society regardless of race. But it appears to be prominent in African American and Hispanic families. They are in small towns and big cities. They can have full-time and no-work jobs. They live in... middle of paper... the dream is alive, it is necessary that there is an equalization of opportunities at the minimum level. I agree to some extent. Opportunities should be available to all American citizens. They should have the same basic education. But once they graduate from high school, they're on their own. It's time to sink or swim. They either succeed or fail and remain poor. Works Cited Brinkerhoff, D.B., White, L.K., Ortega, S.T., Weitz, R. (2011). Essentials of Sociology, 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.Levenstein, M. (2011, May 30). The American dream. Retrieved June 10, 2011, from http://www.michigandaily.com/opinion/max-levenstein-american-dreamMcMurrer, D.P., Sawhill, IV (1998, May 1). Moving forward: Economic and social mobility in America: Introduction and overview. Retrieved June 10, 2011, from http://www.brookings.edu/papers/1998/05useconomics_sawhill.aspx