Wealth has become more concentrated in the United States, with the top 1 percent of households now commanding a bigger share of the nation's prosperity than at any time since the 1920s. Average middle-class family incomes, meanwhile, have been mostly stagnant for more than 30 years. As the gap between the rich and everyone else grows wider, some sociologists and economists worry that the "Horatio Alger" dream of economic success through hard work and merit is dead and that getting ahead now depends mostly on your family's affluence, education and social connections. Others say living standards are rising for nearly everyone, newcomers still can find their fortunes here and middle-class Americans live better than their parents did. President Bush, meanwhile, is encouraging wealth creation, but critics say his "ownership society" proposals pose greater economic risks and won't help spread the nation's good fortune to all.

Alan Greenblatt has been writing about politics and government in Washington and the states for nearly two decades. As a reporter for Congressional Quarterly, he won the National Press Club’s Sandy Hume award for political journalism. While on staff at Governing magazine, he covered many issues of concern to state and local governments, such as budgets,taxes, and higher education. Along the way, he has written about politics and culture for numerous other outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and NPR.org.