The premise of the "American Dream" is that each generation of children will be more successful than their parents. It defines America and it's what has attracted so many immigrants from around the world. But the reality is that in recent years, the U.S. has become one of the world's most unequal countries, with a shrinking opportunity to move up the ladder.
To add to that, a new report due to be unveiled in September, shows poverty will be higher than it has been at any time since 1965 in the U.S.
Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz discussed his new book, “The Price of Inequality," with Christiane Amanpour Monday. Stiglitz says that America's shrinking middle class endangers the very future of the United States.
CNN’s Ken Olshansky produced this piece for television.