Class Barrier to Economic Success

[donquixote99]

Just saw a graph in an article on Vox, here: http://www.vox.com/2016/3/8/11178802...discrimination

The article is pointing out the 'different value of a college degree,' depending on one's economic background. Basically, if when you start out your family's income is less than 185% of the federal poverty level, you will tend not to make the money. On the graph, blue arc for the rich kids, green arc for the non-rich. And the difference is enormous--the blue arc keeps growing long after the green arc has turned downward, and peaks about twice as high. In fact, the blue arc starts at 'entry level' at about the level of the peak of the green arc.

I've added something to the graph that wasn't there. It's what Vox headline promised, but did not explicitly deliver--the why for this huge difference in outcome. I added the crosshatched line, and the label "class barrier."

Even without my addition, this graph is the clearest picture of the class barrier in the US that I have ever seen. Individual anecdotes not withstanding, here's the reality experienced by millions of Americans: