The American Dream concept that people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to advance is directly challenged in this political cartoon. With abundant symbolism, the cartoon visually depicts the difficulty of moving between social classes in America. Three people stand on the first of twelve floors, seeking to progress to a higher level, representing social promotion to higher social status. Each person represents a social class: the rich, the middle class and the poor. Each of them has different resources to progress, and their ability to do so increases with their social class. Although the United States is trying to provide social mobility, this cartoon suggests that it is currently failing in this effort, and there is much research supporting this idea. America has a rich history of people rising out of poverty through their own efforts and using the resources available to them, but the availability of those resources has varied over time as political administrations and their respective policies varied. Although our nation's creed is that every American has an equal opportunity to advance, this is simply not the case and changes must be made to restore the American dream. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay The rich are represented in the cartoon by a luxuriously dressed man with a briefcase. He’s the classic rich man; older and white, with heavily combed gray hair. A wealthy environment is certainly useful for social advancement. According to Howard Friedman, a statistician and health economist at the United Nations, the real data from economic studies "runs counter to the American dream" and "points to a rigid and entrenched wealth structure." (Friedman) Wealth is usually passed down in rich families, and the poor usually remain trapped in their social class as well. Professor Miles Corak, an economist at the University of Ottawa, says that "family background plays a more important role in the United States than in most comparable countries." (DeParle) Even Canada has more right than the United States to claim that it is a land of opportunity. Studies show that "an American's income depends almost twice as much on his father's background as that of a Canadian." (Friedman) The rich man stands in a polished gold elevator embedded in a marble wall with decorative trim. The doors close and he gets in. His face is smug and he is clearly proud and satisfied with his status. Advancement is child's play for the rich man in the elevator. Its pleasant location illustrates the ease with which the wealthy can advance financially and socially. The relative luxury of his location represents the superior quality of life enjoyed by the upper class. This man seems much happier than any other character in the cartoon. Its position is enviable. Many would claim that every American can be like him by working hard, but this is increasingly false. The argument that America enjoys fabulous social mobility and that people can easily move up the social ladder is quickly disappearing, as the contrary clearly proves. Isabel Sawhill, an economist at the Brookings Institution, says that the fact that America has less social mobility than most other advanced countries is "becoming a conventional wisdom" that people don't disagree with. (DeParle) Jason DeParle,senior editor of the New York Times who won a George Polk Award for his reporting on welfare, points out that when many Americans "complain that the United States has unusually wide income gaps," others counter that “the system is fair because mobility is particularly high” and “everyone can climb the ladder”. (DeParle) But America is actually less mobile in addition to being less equal, resulting in a dire situation for many middle- and lower-class Americans. The middle class is represented in the cartoon by a professionally dressed woman who is intently focused on her efforts to get ahead. She seems hopeful and determined, but she definitely has work ahead of her. It is possible for him to move forward, but it is difficult. Her expression is determined, but she's definitely struggling. This woman's quality of life is undoubtedly lower than that of a man with a higher salary. The middle-class woman's potential means of transportation is a knotted rope, and it will be much more difficult for her to move forward than the man who takes the elevator. The rope is also fraying, so it faces a higher risk of failure in its climb, just as the middle class faces a higher risk when making investments and financial expenditures than the wealthy. The woman's resources are sorely lacking, and even if she works hard and is determined, she is likely to fail. Even though surveys of the American public show that "Americans believe their country is a meritocracy more than citizens of almost any other country on the planet," the actual rate of persistence of poverty is much higher here than in other rich countries. (Friedman) Britain is famous for its class constraints, but even though the United States presents itself as a country of opportunity and claims to have a classless society, the level of disadvantage of our middle and lower classes is well higher than that of Great Britain. (DeParle) The poor are represented in the cartoon by a young man of minority race. He doesn't have the professional attire of the other two and wears a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. He obviously comes from the working class. There are many examples of Americans born into the working class who rose to great wealth. A very American example is that of Henry Ford who created the Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford was born on a farm in 1863. Instead of becoming a farmer, he became interested in machinery and went to work with steam engines, wagon makers, and various factories to learn as much as he could. The wages were such that he had time and money to tinker, and like many other innovators of that era, he spent it trying to invent a "horseless carriage" or carriage. Ford ultimately succeeded, and Ford Motor Company's unique philosophy is what sealed its success. Henry Ford wanted to create a better, cheaper car for the masses, not just a luxury item, and began producing the Model T. He operated a huge factory like a moving assembly line to reduce costs and increase production. production, and without hesitation doubled the salaries of its employees. 14,000 workers so they can buy the product they make. Prices fell, sales soared, workers prospered, Detroit prospered, and Ford became one of the richest people ever, with a net worth more than twice that of Bill Gates. His example caught on and a trend was created for the beginning of the 20th century. Production stylesHigh-wage, low-skill chain and factory jobs have become the norm. People flocked to the cities and were elevated into an ever-growing middle class. Large numbers of low-skilled workers led to industrial unionism and a better quality of life for thousands. (“The Life of Henry Ford”) Unlike Henry Ford, the lower-class man depicted does not have the resources necessary for advancement. All he has is a small wooden ladder with five rungs. It's enough to stay where he is, but nothing more to move forward, just as many Americans live paycheck to paycheck with just enough to get by. This situation is created because wages are so low. The minimum wage has been stagnating for a long time. If the minimum wage had been adjusted since the end of the 1960s to keep up with inflation, it would currently exceed seventeen dollars. (Interview by Kenny Yuko) There is no reason why wages and quality of life for the lower and middle classes should have been better in the 1960s than they are today. Today, high-paying, low-skill jobs are almost impossible to find. Even low-skilled and low-skilled jobs are few and far between. Many minimum wage workers live in poverty, even if they work full time, because the minimum wage is not enough to cover their basic expenses. The poor man's expression is one of confusion and helplessness. His feelings represent those of many poor Americans who don't know where to turn. Comparatively speaking, there is actually less aid for the poor in America than in other rich countries, which leaves our poor even poorer. Scott Winship, a researcher at the Brookings Institution, says that “the bottom fifth in the United States is very different from the bottom fifth in other countries. Poor Americans must climb the ladder from a lower level. (DeParle) The most obvious aspect of the representation of the poor is the despair and difficulty of his situation. Today, many people from the lower classes find themselves facing similarly dark situations. Single parents from the lower classes have difficulty providing for their families, and independent people have difficulty remaining independent. Many workers find that wages are simply too low to make ends meet. They can't work enough to earn the money they need, even if they work two or even three jobs. What is most striking about the cartoon is undoubtedly the great differences between its three characters, despite their coexistence in the same environment. The upper-class man is so far ahead of the other two in terms of quality of life that the message of the cartoon is obvious; something must be done to improve social mobility and the situation in which our lower and middle classes live. Some laws currently being debated in Ohio provide hope for this situation. Senate Bill 25, "Ohio Workers' Rights Act," was introduced in the Ohio Senate earlier this year and proposes to increase the state's minimum wage by $8.10 at $10.10 per hour. (“Senate Bill 25”) Sen. Kenny Yuko explained in an interview his desire to increase the state’s minimum wage. “It’s no longer your high school students looking for a part-time job paying minimum wage, it’s your single mothers. This is a large number of adults over 20, many of whom work part time, but many work full time. Sometimes it's a mother and father working together,.