A child from a poor background in the Scandinavian countries stands a better chance in upward mobility than a child of the same class from the United States. This is in contrast to the popular notion that class barriers in the United States are among the lowest in the developed world. Most Scandinavian countries in Europe are characterized by higher taxes and more public services. The government pays for most amenities such as healthcare and education. Public education may be as good as private in Finland and Denmark. This is unlike in the United States where the best schools are privately owned and those in the public sector are run with lean budgets. The outcome means that children from wealthy backgrounds are relatively more likely to have a better chance of upward mobility than those from lower classes. There exist better chances for everyone in countries that invest their taxes in public welfare. There is also more economic equality.
To bridge the inequality gap and provide everyone with relatively the same chance of growth, the government has to invest more in public amenities. This includes more share of taxes going to essential services such as education and healthcare. Inequality does not only result in lower rates of upward mobility to the poor but is also a direct threat to their lives. Poor people are likely not to have adequate health insurance coverage. They are also more likely to live in violent neighborhoods. This is a direct threat to their lives. Finland, Norway, and Denmark’s economic models have less inequality, high standards of living, and sustained economic growth. The United States ought to emulate this model while at the same time retaining much of its free-market democratic model. The government, for instance, could invest more in education than in very expensive wars waged far from the borders.
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