For decades, the United States has failed to learn the lesson of equitable growth, as policy choices made under both Republican and Democratic administrations have allowed deep inequality to fester. Apart from brief pandemic-era subsidies, the long-term economic structure overwhelmingly benefits those at the very top.
This systemic favoritism has directly contributed to the current crisis where four million Americans live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $3 a day—a stark contrast to China’s successful eradication of poverty for nearly a billion citizens. America’s wealth is failing to trickle down due to intentional political design.
Income data confirms the severity: the share of national income for middle-class Americans has fallen, and the poorest 10% now receive a lower percentage than their counterparts in many developing nations. American policy has actively exacerbated the economic reality for its working-class citizens.