because America has a capitalist economy that promotes consumption. Decades of promoting consumption has created a materialistic culture in which people respect and listen more to those with money—think of the influence American families like the Kardashians have on popular culture. Now, of course, material wealth can be achieved through hard work, but the issue of wealth inequality in America makes it so the people at the top are already extraordinarily wealthy. The top 10% of Americans now have more than twice the amount of wealth as the bottom 90%. Being born in the top 10% already puts a person vastly higher up in society than anyone in the bottom 90%. People born at the top are, therefore, likely to stay there or climb higher.

For example, consider the President of the United States, Donald Trump. He was the son of a successful businessman whose socioeconomic status allowed him to send his children to college. After college, Trump got a job at his father’s company that launched his business career and fame. While he did put in work throughout his career, the social position he was born into played a large role in his ability to succeed.

You should also take into consideration that it is not equally easy for all people in America to achieve economic prosperity through the same amount of hard work. One of the defining characteristics of America is that it is a “melting pot” of people from around the world. The diversity the country prides itself on, however, has motivated discrimination against minorities—especially people of color—since its founding. After slavery was abolished in 1865, new forms of discrimination were enacted, like the transition to sharecropping and imprisonment rather than outright slavery or the Jim Crow laws that legalized segregation from 1877 to the 1950s. This legacy of systemic discrimination has put people of color as a disadvantage when it comes to accessing the resources and connections necessary for extreme socioeconomic mobility, because the same structures persist due to geography and the persistence of racist views in politics.

There are of course, many examples of Americans at the top of society who were successful at working their way up. Barack Obama, the previous president, is an example of someone who came from a modest socioeconomic background, took out student loans for college, and worked his way to becoming the first African American president of the United States. In addition, there are many singers and actors at the top of society whose talent propelled them to immediate wealth. These types of people exemplify that despite many obstacles, it is possible to work one’s way up to the top in America.

It is ultimately for you to decide what you think about how people at the top of American society get where they are. As long as you take into consideration historical and social context when explaining why you feel that way, you will provide a strong answer.