Los Angeles is such a great meritocracy. Where can someone with my background - don't have the right family background, the right religion, the right provenance or whatever you want to call it - I come here and I'm accepted. The city's been good to me. And I want to give back.

America thinks of itself as a meritocracy, so people have more respect for success and more contempt for failure.

As Americans, I think we really believe that with the meritocracy that exists in our country, the equality of opportunity is so important to the foundation of our culture and our society.

You can't have a competitive, egalitarian meritocracy if only some of your citizens have the opportunity for a good education.

America thinks of itself as a meritocracy so people have more respect for success and more contempt for failure.