Income Mobility Data Shows that American Dream is Alive and Well

Income inequality clearly exists in this country, but it is less of a problem than populists like John Edwards and Mike Huckabee will have you believe. This chart shows that those on the bottom (i.e. immigrants, the poor, the young) have been able to lift themselves into new income groups by a significant rate. In fact, everyone but the top 5% and top 1% have shown overall upward mobility over the past decade.

John Edwards believes that there are indeed two Americas, with one playing in a "rigged system," but it's the rich that have lost median income. Those at the bottom and the middle have proven that merit and not heavy-handed government redistribution get you closer to the American Dream.