Income inequality and the Success Sequence
Joneen Mackenzie writes that the Success Sequence, not redistribution alone, changes poverty odds.
Joneen Mackenzie ·
Income inequality has become one of the most debated issues of our time. For many, the growing gap between rich and poor raises difficult questions about fairness, opportunity, and the role of government. Yet amid these debates, one truth remains: while we do not choose the circumstances into which we are born, we often have significant influence over the behavioral choices we make throughout our lives.
Relationships also play a critical role. The people who surround us influence our attitudes, expectations, and behavior. Positive friendships, mentors, and supportive communities often provide the encouragement and accountability necessary to grow and succeed. Research on social mobility and financial self-sufficiency highlights a simple but powerful pathway known as the “Success Sequence”: first, graduate from high school, then work, then marry before having children. Mackenzie writes that people who follow this sequence dramatically reduce their likelihood of living in poverty.
Income inequality is not solved solely through policy, government, or taxing the rich and redistributing their largesse. Life outcomes are up to the individual, not the government, keeping outcomes fair. Certainly, we should have equal opportunities; we were never promised equal outcomes. joneen@narme.org
Print source: The Villager, Vol. 44 No. 29, June 11, 2026, page 3. Issuu edition.