Which continues to be a mainstay in the debate surrounding poverty in America.

If you believe that America is a meritocracy, your wealth is directly tied to your level of effort and your character. A rich man has a good work ethic and put in a lot of effort to get where he is. A poor man has a poor work ethic, and obviously isn’t putting in the necessary effort to be successful.

But where is the effort of a rich man who was born into wealth? Where is the wealth of a poor man who puts in effort every single day?

This is not to say that America isn’t a meritocracy on some level - there are many cases where hard work is truly rewarded with success. But we are not a true meritocracy - hard work does not 100% guarantee success every time.

But this mindset casts the poor as lazy people who don’t want to work to get ahead, and instead are turning to the government for free handouts. It’s a black-and-white way of thinking that isn’t based in reality at all. It boils down a complex issue into a simple, incorrect answer.