The Irony of America

An essay about social mobility, a global pandemic, and elections.

So many media pundits have already discredited the “American Dream.” So I won’t waste your time by telling you how the United States ranks near the bottom in upward social mobility, behind France, Canada, Australia, and even the United Kingdom.

The irony here is that in European countries such as France or the U.K. is that their citizens are largely pessimistic about becoming wealthy and moving up in social classes. Meanwhile, in the U.S., citizens are largely optimistic about some day becoming a billionaire, or millionaire.

Let me save you some hoping by telling you it probably won’t happen.

So what is the Global Social Mobility Index? It measures which countries give citizens better opportunities to succeed. Having quality healthcare, education, and social systems goes a long way to helping someone mobilize themselves from the bottom 20% of a social class to the top 20%.

Nordic countries like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are ahead of most countries because they rank higher in quality education systems, social safety nets, inclusive institutions, and good job opportunities. 17 of the countries in the top 20 are in Europe.