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In the first part of this series we introduced the surprising findings of a
survey released last week called, Economic Mobility: Is the American Dream
Alive and Well? Interestingly, the findings revealed that today’s American
men have less income than their fathers’ generation did at the same age. The
findings have been surprising to many, as there is a common belief shared by
many that each generation “does better” than the previous one. Here is more
information regarding the survey and its results:
In addition to the Principals’ Group, the project is also guided by a
nonpartisan Advisory Board of nationally recognized economists, social
scientists and policy experts. The initiative was launched in February and comes
at a period of intense scrutiny of such issues as executive pay, the minimum
wage and the quality of America’s public school system – the latter being of
particular concern because education is widely agreed to be a key driver of
mobility.
"The expectation that each generation will do better than their parents has
become a fundamental part of what we call ‘The American Dream’, but this new
analysis suggests this bedrock belief may be shifting under our feet,” said
Morton. “Income is not the only factor in overall economic mobility, but it is
clearly a key component and today’s data suggest that during a thirty-year
period of economic expansion, a rising tide did not lift all boats.”
"In modern America, mobility is increasingly a family enterprise,” said
Sawhill. “While male incomes have decreased from that of the generation that
came before, family incomes have risen slightly because more women have gone to
work, adding a second earner to the family.”
The broader mobility story is complex with data challenges and many important
questions left to be answered. Over the next year and a half, the Economic
Mobility Project and its partners will research, analyze and present data to the
broader public about the status of economic mobility in the United States.
Future releases will include; a comprehensive fact book containing key data and
trends about mobility, featuring chapters on race, gender, immigration and
cross-national comparisons; a report on the leading factors or indicators behind
economic mobility; and an analysis of shifting federal investments in education
and other policies that may impact mobility.
The report and information about the project is available at http://www.economicmobility.org/. | 
