The meritocracy myth

The Meritocracy Myth challenges the idea that success in the United States is solely based on individual merit, such as talent, attitude, hard work, and character.

The authors argue that non-merit factors like economic inheritance, social and cultural capital, luck, and discrimination play significant roles in determining social mobility.

The book deconstructs the American Dream ideology by illustrating how these factors suppress, neutralize, or negate merit-based traits, leading to unequal distributions of wealth and income.