I believe in a rigged system. A system where the American political, social, and economic aspects of our society makes it harder for those who aren't privileged to become successful due to one of those categories. There will always be outliers, but the "system" has hindered those from getting to that higher level. Instead, the "system" has gradually ensured keeping those in the top, at the top, creating inequality within our society.

In a political system which is labeled a fair democratic process, the truth frankly deems it to be quite rigged.. Americans are deceived to believe that only 2 parties exist out of man, seen with the 2016 primaries. This is seen with laws regarding the ability for minor parties to participate in general debates. Also seen with states only holding caucuses for the major parties-democrats/republicans. With the inclusion of the electoral college, elites choose who they want rather than a direct democracy. Even in the democratic types of primaries themselves, a majority of states hold closed-primaries which force voters to register as the party of the primary so they can even vote for someone. Forcing minor 3rd parties to lose support. Better yet, the democratic party itself has an extra part of their election: superdelegates who are free to vote for whomever they favor. This “democratic” system is rigged by the individual support of party elites when it is suppose to be off of popular vote.

With a country built off of the idea of freedom and equality, Americans generally tend to have a hard time proving it. Primarily seen in the white Americans, there is a strong past of ethnic struggles: from slavery, to native American segregation, 1900’s anti-semitism, to Japanese internment camps,  Jim Crow Laws, to Islamic prejudice. The American system which guarantees equality then comes into question. Not only seen back then but now, with renewed racial aggression towards the Muslim race, we don’t stray far from the racist path America has forever sat on. This makes it nearly impossible for a minority to get the same equal opportunities of which should be provided i.e.-banning all single adult Muslim males refuge. How is this group of people supposed to be given the same equal and free opportunities in life if they aren’t even allowed to live here because of race.

We are taught from a young age that success is based off of the materialistic things we achieve. But how do we get these “things?” Where do they come from? Does one economic class even get the same opportunities that others have to achieve that materialistic success? In a growing economy, one would think that all economic levels would grow, but sadly this is wrong though, demonstrated with a growing poverty gap between the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans who own roughly 50% of the country's wealth, and the rest of the nation. This economy is actually hurting lower classes more, making it harder for them to move up.