SOA 1061st Edition Lecture 24Outline of Last Lecture I. Should Inheriting Wealth be Allowed?II. Facts on InheritanceOutline of Current Lecture II. Inheritance ContinuedIII. Death Tax?IV. Implications of Class InequalityV. Race Inequality and StratificationCurrent LectureInheritance Continued● The point of the exercise is to demonstrate that our ideals are not often align with our practices○ call ourselves the land of opportunity but are we really?● Under Sullivan’s plan most of us will inherit more in a lifetime○ if you never spend a dime of your inheritance by 65 you would have $1.5 millionDeath Tax?● The estate tax affects individuals with estates valued at more than $5 million● Roughly 90% of the taxable estates will come from the top 10% of income earners and half will come from the top 1%● We have had this before● Very similar to Sullivans plan● This is an ideological battle● False consciousness-- when people support policies that are against their interestsImplications of Class Inequality● Life choices are affected○ rich people experience better health, education, nutrition, safer neighborhoods, and working conditions than poor people● Threatens political democracy○ economic inequality threatens political equality● Ideology of opportunity and social mobility○ legitimizes inequality and stigma of being poor○ justifies the “merit” of being wealthyRacial Inequality and Stratification● Race-- socially constructed catergory of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important● Racial catergories are not natural, biological facts, they are created, inhabited, transformed, applied and transformed by people○ changes over time -- shows that race is created● There is no “race” gene○ there is more genetic variation between people of the same race● Race may be a biological fact, but it is socially significant○ we do not divide society based on other physical traits● About 66% of people are white● 16% are hispanic● 13% are black● 4.5% are asian● 2.5% are other● 100 members of the senate, if race did not matter, 13 senators would be black. Instead we have maybe
View Full Document
Unlocking...