Genius Research Paper

The Moral Decline of ProsperitySince the foundation of America, wealth has always been a part of our national identity. The American Dream to most individuals is to be able to have the opportunity to be prosperous and gain upward social mobility. However, sixty percent of Americans feel the opportunity to rise to a higher social and economic status is no longer based on merit but rather race, class, or title. A primary study conducted by psychologists Paul Piff and Dacher Keltner found wealthier drivers were more likely to cut off other motor vehicles because they felt superior. They then experimented with a variety of people with different financial circumstances by asking them to think about other individuals and how their economic status compared to themselves. Immediately after the question, the participants were shown “a jar of candy and told that they could take home as much as they wanted, they were also told that the leftover candy would be given to children in a nearby laboratory”. The wealthier participants took significantly more candy for themselves--leaving less behind for the children. The findings of the study revealed the wealthy felt less compassion than those of lower economic status. Thus, the pursuit of wealth has caused a moral decline within America. We can view the loss of morality in America through social barriers, economic inequality, materialism, and political bosses.

Social Barriers and Economic Inequality within AmericaAmerica is imbued with the ideology that everyone is created equal, will be able to pursue their dreams, and will have an equal opportunity. However, socioeconomic status (SES), a term which is measured by the quality of education, income, and occupation, limits this ideology. A Meta-study, conducted by the American Psychological Association, found that SES can cause, “Inequities in wealth and quality of life [and] is increasing in the United States as well as globally”. SES has been shown to be intertwined with ethnicity. Those looking to escape the grasp of poverty are hindered by discrimination and psychological distress. For example, “minority children in high poverty areas are more likely to be exposed to alcohol and drugs and are also more likely to use drugs and exhibit antisocial behaviors”. All of this information clearly shows there is a social barrier in the United States regarding ethnicity. In addition, women have also felt the breath of gender and wage inequality. The wage gap, a statistic of women’s pay compared to men, has been unequal since the birth of America. Although there have been steps taken to decrease the wage gap such as the Equal Pay Act, an act signed in 1963 which, “made it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who hold the same job and do the same work” there still remains a significant gap between how much a woman makes compared to how much a man makes. Therefore, social inequities due to gender, ethnicity, and wealth have caused a moral decline in America by creating a social and economic barrier to fully possessing equal opportunity.

Materialism within AmericaFurthermore, American morality has also decreased because of materialism. Materialism is the belief that material possessions will generate happiness and improve individual social class. Materialism has negative repercussions which can lead an individual to have “compulsive and impulsive spending, increased debt, decreased savings, depression, social anxiety, less psychological need satisfaction, and other undesirable outcomes have all been linked with materialistic values and materialistic purchasing behaviors”. It also has negative repercussions on an individual’s “Subjective Well-Being”, a term used to convey how a person experienced the quality and emotional reactions of their life. In the study “The Silver Lining of Materialism: The Impact of Luxury Consumption on Subjective Well-Being” (Hudders, 2012), Liselot Hudders delves into how America has become a materialistic country and how a person’s subjective well being is affected by an individual’s assessment on the materials they own. She conveys that psychologically an individual will buy items to generate pleasure but then will suffer from depression when another person attains something they perceive has more value than what they purchased. Thus, America’s morality is being eroded by the constant struggle for wealth and envy that pursues social status.

Political BossesLikewise, the pursuit of wealth has also corrupted American politics in the 19th and 20th centuries. Political bosses began to rise in cities such as New York and New Jersey. A political boss was a part of a political machine, which would keep a particular party or faction in office. In return the boss would receive money, favors, and enormous influence within the cities’ government. The boss would remunerate their friends and punish enemies through his control of taxes. Two of the most well-known bosses are William Marcy Tweed and Enoch L. Johnson. William Marcy Tweed ran the “Tammany Hall” machine and allowed the Democratic Party to dominate New York City from 1830 to 1930. Through his corrupt contracts, the City’s debt rose to about 70 million dollars. Enoch (Nucky) Johnson was another political boss who ran a political machine. However, he took advantage of prohibition and became a bootlegger to pursue wealth. He is noted for saying, “We have whisky, wine, women, song and slot machines. I won't deny it, and I won't apologize for it. If the majority of the people didn't want them, they wouldn't be profitable and they would not exist. The fact that they do exist proves to me that the people want them". Boss Tweed and Nucky Johnson symbolize the insatiable greed and corruption which had become America.

ConclusionIn conclusion, the loss of morality can be seen through the pursuit of wealth and the greed which the pursuit inspires. Examples of the loss of morality are social barriers, economic inequality, materialism, and political bosses. America currently has social barriers and economic inequalities which cause a decrease in morality such as less minority opportunity and the wage gap between men and women. Materialism also causes a decrease in morality because an individual focuses too much on possessions rather than their merits. Lastly, political bosses convey how American society has become corrupt and immoral due to the pursuit of wealth. A solution to the predicament at hand is for America to face the problem head on. As the Declaration of Independence stated, we should focus on becoming a society which is truly equal on all fields, have a curriculum which teaches the necessity of morals to the younger generation, and have stricter punishments on corruption to deter men like Boss Tweed and Nucky Johnson.

References
Hudders, L., & Pandelaere, M. (2012). The Silver Lining of Materialism: The Impact of Luxury
Consumption on Subjective Well-Being. Journal Of Happiness Studies, 13(3), 411-437. doi:10.1007/s10902-011-9271-9