Moving on Up?

It's a story the country loves: Americans climbing from humble beginnings to the top. There's Bush's new cabinet and the compelling bootstrap stories of Condoleezza Rice and Alberto Gonzalez. Then there are reality TV shows like "American Idol" and "The Apprentice" where average Joes and Jills vie for a chance at big success.

But what's really going on in American society today? Some new research suggests things may be getting harder for average Americans to claw their way to the top. Research indicates that economic and social mobility in America is stalling out, giving way to more permanent privilege.

Hear a discussion on what's encouraging and hurting upward mobility in the U.S. today.

Guests:

Adrian Wooldridge, Washington correspondent with the Economist. He recently wrote an article headlined, "Faltering: Meritocracy in America.";

Samuel Bowles, Research Professor and Director of the Behavioral Sciences Program at the Santa Fe Institute;

Russell Roberts, Professor of Economics at George Mason University.