Income Inequality In America Research Paper

289 Words2 Pages
By 1940, a child raised in an average American household had a 92% of making more money than their parents. As time progressed the averages began to decline. In the 1950s, the average still maintained to be elevated but receded to 79%. Rates dropped to 50% in the 1980s and the numbers presently continue to deteriorate (Leonhardt).
Statistically, the American Dream is perishing due to the rise of income inequality and the slowing of economic growth. Income inequality is a dominant problem in the United States. The top 1% of the United States occupies 20% of all the country's income, while the bottom 50% only obtains 12%. Since 1980, the average annual income of the top 1% has substantially increased from $344,000 to over one million dollars.