1. Hargreaves, Steve. “New Reports Shows 70% of Those Born Poor Stay Poor.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2017

Background: This CNN report goes  into detail on how hard it is for those in poverty to gain more wealth. It gives stats and percentages to back this claim. According to the study done, only 26% of those who come from a low income rose to the middle class, and 4% rose to the high earners income bracket. A mere 70% of those who come from low income households stay in the income bracket. The stats showed how difficult it is to rise from dirt poor to filthy rich.

How I Used It: I used this article to showcase how not everybody in America has the same chance to succeed. Those who come from low income households are almost guaranteed to stay in the poverty income bracket. The government has created a system so the poor don’t become wealthy. Through tax loopholes for the rich, high cost of college, and poor government assistance programs it has become extremely difficult for those in poverty to become successful .

2. Tavernise, Sabrina. “Disparity in Life Spans of the Rich and the Poor Is Growing.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Background: This New York Times article discusses the issue of life expectancy difference between income brackets. It demonstrates, that even as more medical advances are discovered, the difference of life expetency continues to grow.  This showcases that medical coverage is not accessible for everyone in the country.

How I Used It: I used this article in my essay to help demonstrate how the inability to move up income brackets is not just a question of lavish things.It is an issue of life quality and life expectancy. Medical care has become more of a privilege than a necessity and many can’t get covered. The poor of America have a much different quality of life than everybody else.

3. DeSilver, Drew. “U.S. Income Inequality, on Rise for Decades, Is Now Highest since 1928.” Pew Research Center. N.p., 05 Dec. 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Background: This was an article about the results of Income inequality through a survey  done by the Pew Reasearh center. The stats show how Income inequality has been on the rise since 1980, and it recently it has hits highs not seen since 1928. It also shows that Income inequality has showed no signs of slowing down.

How I Used It: I used it in my definition essay to back up my claim that the government is not interested in helping all Americans. As shown by the Income inequality rise, the poor are becoming more forgotten by the day. As long as the wealthy get richer, the government is all right with the econmomy distribution amongst all Americans. It is another example on how not every American has the same opportunity.

4. Groote, Michael De. “Getting Unstuck: Why Some People Get out of Poverty and Others Don’t.” DeseretNews.com. Deseret News, 10 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article published by Desert News describes why only very few people of the poverty income bracket are able to escape the burden. It describes why it is so difficult to get out of the poverty income bracket. The article then describes why those who escape poverty do so.

How I Used It: In my caual argument, the article helped my claim that it all the tools to become successful are not available to the poor. Most of the people stuck in the poverty income bracket work hard, but the system is against them. The few who do make it out of poverty, are very fortunate.

5. Politifact, and The Other 98 Activist Group. “Meme on Democratic Senators and ‘big Pharma’ Is Misleading.” @politifact. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Background: This brief article gives the amount of money many senators have been given by pharmictual companies since 2011. This demonstrates just how much of a hold the pharmaceutical companies have on the government.

How I Used It: I used this in my definition essay to illustrate why many in the poverty income bracket can not afford their necessary medications. I pinpointed New Jersey Senator Corey Booker as an example of someone in the government who has been payed off by the pharmaceutical companies. I pinpointed him because he has been given the most of any democratic senator and he is also a representative our state of New Jersey. This article gave a good example of how the government docent can about the poor and their freedoms.

6. Edelman, Peter. “Poverty in America: Why Can’t We End It?” The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article discusses the extreme poverty rate in America, and what needs to be done in to fix it. There is a huge problem with income inequality in America. Half the jobs pay less then $34,000 a year.There are many in the 1% who make that in a day. Higher paying jobs need to be restored in the country in order to  cut into the poverty rate. This poverty have signifially less opputuities to be successful so they often can’t get out of poverty. Poverty causes a lot of the unequalness, and fixing this can set America in the direction of truly the “land of the free”

How I Used It: This article helped showcase (in my white paper) my hypothesis. It shows what needs to be done to exterminate Income inequality. It shows how the government knows this and still docent care enough to do something about it.

7. McWhorter, Ladelle. Racism and Sexual Oppression in Anglo-America: A Genealogy. Bloomington, Ind: Indiana UP, 2009. Print.

Background: This book discusses how in Anglo America,oppression has been going on for generations. This oppression has always mattered on one simple thing, genealogy. Many races and gender have been oppressed simply because of who they are, their genes. They are discriminated against and segregated. African Americans were forced into slavery, women forced into house work among others.

How I Used It: I used this in my purposeful summary to showcase another type of inequality that existed in America. African Americans have always been given significantly less opportunities simply because of the color of the skin. It helped my hypothesis that America isn’t really the land of the free.

8. LongD, Heather, and “. “U.S. Inequality Keeps Getting Uglier.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 22 Dec. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/22/news/economy/us-inequality-worse/

Background: This CNN article discusses how income inequality keeps on getting worse, creating an extremely ugly situation. It shows how because of this the once prescribed American dream is becoming just a dream.

How I used It: This article showcases my argument of modern day slavery. The common man aren’t able to move up in the income brackets because all the money is going to the wealthy. The government wants it like that as it is demonstrated the alarming income inequality rates.

9. Edwin D Rios. “These 11 Charts on Income Inequality Will Make Your Head Explode.” Mother Jones. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Background:  This article from Mother Jones is another great collection of charts that shows the severity of income inequality in America. It describes in depth that while the economy is good on paper, it is actually in bad shape overall. In fact the economy is only good for the top 1% of average salaries.

How I Used It: I used these charts for another example of the severe problem that Income inequality has created. By having a good economy on paper and more job growth, the government gets to continue their goal of getting themselves richer.

10. Flows, Capital. “Is America The Land Of The Free?” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 06 Oct. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Background: This Forbes discusses the actually freedom of America. It discusses the actually economic freedom of America, and shows that there really is none. As America is 16th on the economic freedom list, a list where America used to be 1.

How I Used It: I used it in my rebuttal argument, to counter the claim that America is the  most free country in the world. I was able to prove my these with this article

11. Lederman,Rea.“Defending the Dream: Why Income Inequality Doesn’t Threaten Opportunity.” The Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article gives multiple examples on why America is so great. According to the article, it gives opportunity for anyone to achieve.

How I Used It: I used it as a rebuttal to my hypothesis. It shows multiple reasons as to why America is still the land of the free. However, I gave examples to disapprove the article’s claims.

12. Steven W. Bradley. “Steven W. Bradley.” The Academy of Management Perspectives. N.p., 01 Aug. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Background: The article discusses that entrepreneurship in America has been on a steady decline since 1970. this again is due to the declining economic freedom in the country

How I Used It: This showed another example why America is not the land of the free. It also help defend my argument of the modern day slavery. Americans are losing many of  the economic freedoms they once had, as they are becoming more of slaves of the government than free men and women.

13. Peter Reuell, Harvard Staff Writer |. “For Life Expectancy, Money Matters.” Harvard Gazette. N.p., 11 Apr. 2016. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Background: This Harvard study shows the significant life expency difference between different social classes.

How I used It: This was more support in my claim of the dangers of the income inequality in America. It shows that money means everything in America, even though money is necessarily available to all.

14. If You Don’t Think Americans Have Lost Our Freedoms, READ THIS.” Washington’s Blog. Washington Blog,

Background: This article goes into detail on how Americans have lost their rights and freedoms guaranteed by the amendments. It details every amendments of the bill of rights, and how each one has been violated. For example, the article gives the example of the first amendment. The first amendment gives the right to freedom of speech; however, people are being arrested for speaking they mind.

How I Used It: I used this article in my white paper. I used it for one of my working hypothesis on how America has become the land of the unfree. However, I did not use this in my reasrach argument, as I chose another hypothesis.

15. “20 Facts About U.S. Inequality That Everyone Should Know.” Inequality.com. N.p., n.d.

Background: This Stanford publication gives 20 facts about income inequality in America. it shows why CEOs make so much and the common man doesn’t

How I Used It: I used it to show how the government allows loopholes for the rich, but these same loopholes can not be used by others to get more wealthy.