The Debt Dialogues is a weekly podcast that aims to educate young people about the welfare state and how it will affect their future. In this episode, I interview Steven Horwitz, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics and department chair at St. Lawrence University, on his new paper “Inequality, Mobility, and Being Poor in America.” Topics covered include:

• The crucial distinction between standard of living and distribution of income
• The exciting truth about mobility in America
• Why the disappearing middle class is a good thing
• The importance of looking at consumption rather than income when assessing standard of living

Other Resources:

• “Inequality, Mobility, and Being Poor in America” — Steven Horwitz
• Steve Horwitz’s homepage
• The Debt Dialogues [Episode 23]: Scott Winship on Inequality, Mobility, and the American Dream

Image: Bruce Rolff via Shutterstock.com