Transcript
ISABEL SAWHILL: Does everyone have a fair shot at the proverbial American dream, or are we a more class-based society then we would like to think we are, one in which the circumstances of your birth or your family background matter a lot? There are data in this report that shows strongly that America believes -- the American public believes there is plenty of opportunity to go around, that hard work and talent and not your family background are what matter. For example, when you compare Americans to citizens in other advanced countries, we see that Americans, much more likely than their counterparts abroad, believe that people are rewarded for effort, for intelligence, and for their skills, and that coming from a wealthy or affluent family is not very important if you want to get ahead.
So the question is, to what extent do those beliefs comport with the reality? If I had to summarize the conclusion, it would be that there is a gap between our rhetoric in the United States or our beliefs on the one hand and the reality on the other.
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