Do all Americans have an equal opportunity to succeed, or are some more inherently advantaged than others? The US public opinion is split nearly down the middle on this question, with only a small majority maintaining that our economic system is basically fair.

Opportunities for education and work are abundant. The Department of Education awards $46 billion in scholarships and the Department of Labor provides around 104 weeks of paid occupational training and/or remedial training for workers in sectors of manufacturing, farming and production if there jobs have moved offshore or have fallen victim to lay-offs. For those that are employed, the question is "what are you not doing that's preventing you from getting a promotion?" Education and skills training opportunities are just a mouse-click away. If access to a computer is an issue, go to the public library, computers and internet access are free.

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I agree that the internet is a easy and accessible resource for finding information about jobs, but I think a lot of one's opinion about the economic system comes from the environment in which you live. If you're on a college campus with students seeking white-collar jobs, it's a lot different than being an middle-aged person in a blue collar town. This can affect how you view the economy drastically.

I agree that perception is colored by environmental factors. I'm middle-aged, surrounded on all sides by small towns but I realize that opportunity is not the same as chance. Hard work and persistence, add-up to creating your own opportunities.