"No one can maximize the American Dream with the minimum wage."--Benjamin Todd Jealous"No family gets richer earning the minimum wage. In fact, the current minimum wage doesn't lift even one family out of poverty." -- Jon Corzine Income inequality has been a major problem in American society for decades, but recently it has become a major concern. I personally believe that the large gap between the incomes of the rich and the poor is not only, but not a major concern for government and society. If the federal government addresses other important concerns of American citizens, inequality will be corrected through other changes. The government must intervene and adjust the minimum wage and public education. If the government were to raise the minimum wage and give public schools more money to support students' educational needs, income inequality would begin to be corrected. I firmly believe that income inequality is one of the biggest problems in society today; However, other issues need to be addressed before the gap between rich and poor in America can be narrowed. salary. The current minimum wage standard in the United States is $5.15 per hour; however, “only 17 states and the District of Columbia have set their highest minimums,” but that means there is still a majority, 33 states, with citizens earning an incredibly low and inappropriate income standard (Addison 1) . The minimum wage has not increased in over a decade and most likely will not increase in the next few years. The reason there won't be a raise is because “the Republican minority in the U.S. Senate filibustered and blocked a vote on a House-passed bill that would give workers a $2.10 an hour raise in two years” (Addison 2). If this bill had been passed there would have been no constraints on businesses, no consequences for businesses, the only major consequence would have been a decrease in the number of citizens living below the poverty line. If the federal government approved the wage increase, the income gap would narrow dramatically. Many people complain about the inequality between rich and poor, but the federal government is able to instantly reduce the number of people living in poverty to... middle of the paper... the poverty line will have to be exceeded. wait even longer to overcome their deprivations. Furthermore, if the government took the time to establish a robust public education for all students and encouraged high school students to attend college, the gap would also see positive changes. Raising wages, setting new standards for schools, and providing more scholarships for students to attend college will result in positive changes to income inequality. I believe that income inequality is a problem that society will continue to face if the government does not address the other problems plaguing society today, once the minimum wage is raised and strong educational programs are created for all students, the gap will start to decrease. Works CitedAddison, John, and McKinley Blackburn. "Minimum wages and poverty." Review of industrial and labor relations. vol. 53, no. 3. Becker. “America needs a raise.” ALF-CIO. Winter 2006. American labor movement. March 24, 2007 .Sahadi, Jeanne. “Mind the Gap: Income Inequality, State by State.” CNN money. January 27, 2006. CNN. March 24, 2007economy/income_gap/index.htm>.