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Socio-economic mobility in the United States refers to the movement of Americans from one social class or economic level to another,〔Random House Unabridged Dictionary second edition.〕 often by changing jobs or marrying. This "vertical" mobility can be the change in socioeconomic status between parents and children ("inter-generational"); or over the course of a lifetime ("intra-generational"). It typically refers to "relative mobility"—the chance that an American's income/status will rise or fall compared to others in another income/status group〔(Glossary from politybooks.com )〕—but can also be "absolute"—whether (and by how much) living standards in America have increased. Belief in strong social and economic mobility—that Americans can and do rise from humble origins to riches—has been called a "civil religion",〔 "the bedrock upon which the American story has been anchored",〔(Economic Mobility: Is the American Dream Alive and Well? ) Economic Mobility Project| May 2007〕 and part of the American identity (the American Dream〔(English grammar 4U online )| "In general, the American dream can be defined as being the opportunity and freedom for all citizens to achieve their goals and become rich and famous if only they work hard enough."〕), celebrated in the lives of famous Americans such as Benjamin Franklin and Henry Ford,〔 and in popular culture (from the books of Horatio Alger and Norman Vincent Peale to the song "Movin' on Up"〔the theme song of the 1975–85 TV sitcom ''The Jeffersons''〕). Opinion polls show that this belief has been both stronger in the US than in years past, and stronger than in other developed countries.〔 However, in recent years several large studies have found that vertical inter-generational mobility is lower, not higher, in the US than in comparable countries.〔(Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs ) | By JASON DePARLE | January 4, 2012]〕 Studies differ on whether social and economic mobility has gotten worse in recent years. A 2013 Brookings Institution study found income inequality was becoming more permanent, sharply reducing social mobility.〔 A large academic study released in 2014 found income mobility has not changed appreciably in the last 20 years. ==Popular belief== The American Dream Report, a study of the Economic Mobility Project, found that Americans surveyed were more likely than citizens of other countries to agree with statements like * “People get rewarded for intelligence and skill”, * “People get rewarded for their efforts”; and less likely to agree with statements like * “Coming from a wealthy family is ‘essential’ or ‘very important’ to getting ahead,” * “Income differences in my country are too large” or * “It is the responsibility of government to reduce differences in income.”〔 In the US only 32% of respondents agreed with the statement that forces beyond their personal control determine their success. In Europe, in contrast, majorities of respondents agreed with this "fatalistic" view in every country but three (Britain, the Czech Republic and Slovakia).〔(Ever higher society, ever harder to ascend ) Whatever happened to the belief that any American could get to the top? economist.com 29 December 2004〕 The Brookings Institution found Americans surveyed had the highest belief in meritocracy—69% agreed with the statement "people are rewarded for intelligence and skill"—among 27 nations surveyed.〔(International Comparisons of Economic Mobility ) Julia Isaacs| brookings.edu, 2008〕 Another report found such beliefs to have gotten stronger over the last few decades.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Socio-economic mobility in the United States」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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