Despite recent economic troubles, the United States is an immensely successful nation and is home to one of the world’s most affluent societies. Yet income inequality remains problematic. As the U.S. economy begins to recover from the 2008 crisis, Isabel Sawhill says that we need to find ways to expand the middle class and make upward mobility a reality for families, and offers three ways to make that happen: more and better education, more work, and strong families. And it can be accomplished without adding to the deficit, she says.

Ms. Sawhill, a Brookings expert and co-author of the recent book Creating an Opportunity Society, is here to answer your questions  for about an hour.