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JulianneEly
English1010
AllisonFernley
28March2016

Inequality:WhyWeShouldCare?

Theissueofinequalityisarisingproblem.Theaveragecostoflivingiscontinually
rising,andtheoneswhoareaffectedmostarethemiddleclass.In
ConfrontingInequality
,
writtenbyPaulKrugmanrecognizesandinformsabouttheissueswithinequalityaffecting
societyanddemocracy.Thelackofcleareconomicprogressforlowerandmiddleincome
familiesisinitselfanimportantreasontoseekamoreequaldistributionofincome.(Krugman,
561).Theargumentisthen,whyshouldwecareabouthighandrisinginequality?(Krugman
586).
Krugmanconfrontstheissueandsupportshisreasoningswithconcreteevidence,charts,
andmanystatistics.Krugmangrewupinanequalmiddleclasssociety.Henowteaches
economicsatPrincetonandhaswrittenacolumnintheNewYorkTimes.Hewasawardedthe
NobelPrizeineconomicsin2008.Heisalsoanauthorofmanybooks.Heuseshiscredibilityas
oneofhisstrongestappeals.Heusesconcreteexamplessuchasastudypublishedbythe
NationalcenterforEducationStatistics.Thestudytrackedtheeducationalexperienceof

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Americanswhowereeighthgradersin1988.Theresultsshowthatbothgettingahightestscore
andhavinghighstatusparentsincreasesastudentschanceoffinishingcolleges.Hestressesthat
educationisnotasimportantasfamilystatus.Whatthistellsusisthattheideathatwehave
anythingclosetoequalityofopportunityisclearlyafantasy(Krugman,591).
WhileconcreteevidenceandstatisticsisKrugman'sstrongestappeal,hestrategically
usesemotionstomovehisaudience.HeappealstosharedvaluesofAmericansbeingasa
disadvantagewithhealthcare.Heconfrontstheissueofchildrenfromlowincomefamilies
havingnohealthinsurance,andthelackofnutrition,thankstolowincomeandalackofsocial
support(Krugman592).Krugmanstressesthatinequalityweakensoursocialbondsasa
society.Byappealingtoemotions,Krugmansuccessfullysupportshisargumentonsocial
inequality.
Krugmansargumentisextremelysuccessfulduetohisstrongestappealbeinghis
credibility.Heprovidesafairamountofstatistics,charts,andstudiesthatsupporthisargument.
Whilehisappealtotheemotionsoftheaudiencewassuccessful,itwasnothisstrongestsuit.His
academicstyleofwritingwellsuitedtheaudiencehewaswritingfor.Hewassuccessfulin
includinghisownsolutionsfortheissueofincomeinequality.Overall,Krugmanisvery
persuasiveinhiswriting.

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WorksCited
Krugman,Paul.ConfrontingInequality2012.TheySay/ISaywithReadings.Comp.Gerald
Graff,CathyBirkenstein,andRusselDurst.3rded.NewYork:W.W.Norton,2015.561579.
Print

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Asaresultofyourfeedback,Ihavemadethefollowingrevisions:
1. Ihaverevisedmythesis.
2. Ihaverevisedtheflowofthepiece.
3. Ihaveincludedthewaystheauthorsupportshisappeal.
4. Ihaveaddedmorecontent.
5. Ihaverevisedtheconclusion.
ThemostimportantthingIhavedoneinrevisingisusingothersexamplestohelpbetter
structuremycontent.IhavealsogainedalotofinsightintheconferencesthatIhavehadwith
you.
1. Thestyleofthispieceisacademic.Heusesalotofstatisticsandchartstosupporthis
claim.
2. Thetoneofthispieceisinformativeandcollegial.Somephrasesthatsupportthisare
Between1979and2006thetoptaxrateonearnedincomewascutinhalf.Suppose
weagreethattheUniteStatesshouldbecomemorelikeotheradvancedcountries,whose
taxandbenefitsystemsdomuchmorethanourstoreduceinequality

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3. Thewriteruseswordsthatarescientificandliterary.Forexample,hedgefunds,
Democraticpoliticalcampaigns,revenue,andantitax.
4. Thewritersaysthatthelackofcleareconomicprogressforlowerandmiddleincome
familiesisinitselfanimportantreasontoseekamoreequaldistributionofincome.
5. Thehistoricalinformationheprovidestounderstandthesourceincludesstatisticsof
bankruptcy,andthechangesofdebtvsincomeinAmerica.
6. Herespondstodebatesthatsupporthisargumentbyagreeingwiththemanddeliberating
onthem.
7. Therelevanceofthisissueisacurrentevent.
8. Thewriter'spurposeforwritingthesowhatistoinformthereaderofthiscurrentissue.
9. Thewriterwantsthereadertobeawareofthesituation.
10. Theintendedaudienceforthispieceisanyonewhoisconcernedabouteconomics.
11. Thegenreofthissourceisanarticle.
12. Theauthorpresentshimselfasbeingknowledgeable.Thisauthorteacheseconomicsat
PrincetonandtheCityUniversityofNewYork.HewasawardedtheNobelPrizein
Economicsin2008.
13. Thewritershowsheunderstandstheissuebecauseheprovidesseveralpiecesofevidence
andstatisticstosupporthisview.
14. Thewriterappealstoreaderssharedbeliefsbygivinganexampleofthe
straightforwardmatteroflivingstandards.

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15. Thewriterprovideslogicalassertions.By2005,justbeforeanewlawmakingitmuch
harderforindividualstodeclarebankruptcytookeffect,thenumberoffamiliesfilingfor
bankruptcyeachyearwasfivetimesitslevelintheearly1980s.
16. Thewritergivesconvincingevidencethatiscredible.
17. Thewriterexcludesinformationthatmaydistractfromtheargument.
18. Thearticleisinacombinationoforders.Ithinkorganizationiseffectivedependingon
thecontentofthearticle.