Why isn't American social and economic mobility dead?
If you're an academically talented youth, with good grades and test scores, it doesn't matter where you're from. Elite colleges are very good at identifying you and paying you to be there. The way up has never been more open for the talented.
How about mobility for the others?
The ways in which it’s not as good are a consequence of what happens in a meritocracy over generations. Today the really successful pass not just money but talent to their children. Years ago, huge amounts of talent were located throughout society, without regard to socioeconomic status.
You don't discuss the causes of this. Why not?
It’s very contentious. I’ve said the reforms of the 1960s were a major contributor to problems with out-of-wedlock births, men dropping out of the labor market, and so on. I still believe that. We need people on both the left and the right talking about this problem.
You say only 48 percent of working class whites were married in 2010, vs. a much higher number years ago. Why does this change everything?
It changes the social capital of our country. American community has been very vital, the exceptional characteristic of the U.S. And the people available for community activism generally are married. That’s a fact.
If a college education is the next big bubble to burst, what happens then?
We have an inflated market for college education. The BA has become meaningless. Yes, it’s a bubble. I hope it collapses soon. The BA has become a pernicious force in American life. Instead, employers will want certifications, equivalent to a CPA exam.