Meritocracy in the Grand Canyon?

Dr, Evan and I were fortunate to backpack in the Grand Canyon a couple of weeks ago. A spirited discussion of the state of the American Meritocracy spiced up our games of hearts (ask Evan how he did by the way). Here is part of the Economist article that inspired the conversation:

"America has repeatedly succeeded in living up to its best self, and today most Americans believe that their country still does a reasonable job of providing opportunities for everybody, including blacks and women. In Europe, majorities of people in every country except Britain, the Czech Republic and Slovakia believe that forces beyond their personal control determine their success. In America only 32% take such a fatalistic view.

But are they right? A growing body of evidence suggests that the meritocratic ideal is in trouble in America. Income inequality is growing to levels not seen since the Gilded Age, around the 1880s. But social mobility is not increasing at anything like the same pace: would-be Horatio Algers are finding it no easier to climb from rags to riches, while the children of the privileged have a greater chance of staying at the top of the social heap. The United States risks calcifying into a European-style class-based society."

Read the rest of the article: Meritocracy in America, The Economist, Dec 29th 2004