America has fallen behind the rest of the Western civilization. This is not saying that the states have become a dysfunctional country or that our economy is crumbling. America has fallen behind the rest of the Western civilizations and First World countries in the field of being accountable for its citizens living a life worthy of the "American Standard." America is always touting that it is the greatest country on the planet, yet 15 percent of the nation's people are still in poverty (not counting the illegal citizens who are living and working in the states). It's time for citizens and politicians to do something about the crumbling economic infrastructure of the "Greatest Nation on Earth" and progress towards a happier nation.

In order to fix anything, America needs to first look at its education system. A better-educated America would bring a more prosperous America. America is currently ranked 17th on the world stage in the field of education. Yet with many conservative states pulling funding for essential programs such as music and art, this already low ranking will likely drop further. Funding for schools in America is currently at $68.1 billon for 2016. While this number seems high, it must be remembered how many schools are in the states, and also consider where the money goes. School funding is often allocated to those schools who consistently churn out highly educated students. Much like the economy, the smart get smarter and the dumb get dumber. Most school systems are also funded primarily by local taxes, meaning that those schools in low-income areas are not up to par with schools from higher taxed areas. This has substantially increased the learning curve, not even giving these poorer children a chance and a "standard" American education.

The next issue that America must address is the failing lower class. As the "greatest country in the world," surely our citizens have no problems with poverty or living conditions. Yet, in America 15 percent of citizens are in poverty. This is not because people are lazy and not working, but rather because the capitalist system has ensured that the national wealth of America has doomed the well-being of the lower class. The capitalist system has moved America away from the ideology that one man should help his neighbor when his load is too hard to bear. The economic elites have increased their own wages exponentially while forcing the hard-working American proletariat to the minimum wage. This minimum wage is not the minimum wage at which an American standard of living comes, but rather the lowest an individual can be paid. This low payment leaves many trying to juggle multiple jobs in order to provide for their family. Yet when the idea to raise this wage up to a livable standard is mentioned, the elites threaten to eliminate jobs in order to keep their standard of living instead of just helping those who work for them. Or when welfare system is brought up, the masses do not want to raise their taxes to help each other, even though most times they would benefit from the government programs themselves. Then there is the argument of "Well if these bums had gone to college to better themselves they would have better-paying jobs", but with America charging 30 percent interest on already massive loan amounts, many who graduate from college will never be rid of the debt. Yet, free college for a majority of citizens is also too much of a tax increase for the ignorant conservative masses.

In a country where the word "progressive" can be viewed as profanity in many regions, the idea of reaching our Scandinavian neighbors in terms of standard of living is almost impossible. The conservative thinking that is holding the nation back is resulting in the American middle and lower class struggling to keep their heads above water. American citizens and politicians will one day hopefully understand that the well-being of the people is worth so much more than the change in their pockets. Only then will the progressive changes that are currently being fought so hard against in this great nation will finally be common sense. Until then, however, progressives will continue to be fought by those conservatives who would rather see the laissez-faire market powered by the labor of America's youth than have a few less dollars in their pockets.