ABSTRACT
The existence of ideological equalitarianism in the United States is generally acknowledged, but interpretations of its significance vary widely. Every indicator of economic productivity and consumption patterns clearly demonstrates that the United States is much wealthier than any other country in the world. This chapter provides a general interpretation of the role of social mobility in American society. Both the retention of the belief in opportunity and the political conservatism of American workers have frequently been explained as results of the effect of immigration on American society. The effect of opportunities for upward mobility on the behavior and the beliefs of Americans may be most clearly seen by an examination of education, which has become the principal avenue for upward mobility in most industrialized nations. The evidence points both to a constant increase of educational opportunities and to the compatibility between remaining restrictions and the belief in "equal opportunity".
