Economic Inequality Trends
Economic inequality is the gap between households in how much they earn, own, and keep after taxes. Trends describe how that gap grows or shrinks over time. Government agencies collect the data, Congress sets the tax and benefit rules that shape it, and economists debate what the numbers mean.
People usually come to this topic wanting to know the difference between income and wealth, how the middle class has fared over the decades, and how taxes and public programs change the gap. Others want to understand why Americans hold such different views on whether the gap is a problem and what government should do about it.
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All Articles on Economic Inequality Trends
How Americans View Economic Inequality
Economic inequality is one of the most polarizing issues in American society. While a majority of Americans express concern about the gap between rich…
The Changing Middle Class: What Five Decades of Government Data Show
The American middle class represents a promise of economic opportunity and comfortable life in exchange for hard work. For decades, this group formed the…
Debate: America’s Capital Gains Tax
America's capital gains tax sits at the center of one of the nation's most bitter policy fights. The tax applies to profits from selling…
Debate: Increasing the Minimum Wage
The minimum wage sits at the center of America's biggest economic fight. It's a simple concept with complex consequences: the government sets a floor…
How U.S. Tax Policy Has Changed Since the 1980s and Income Inequality
U.S. tax policy changes affect income, investment and inherited wealth. The history shows how rates, tax breaks and other forces shape inequality.
Income vs. Wealth Inequality: What Every American Should Know
Income and wealth inequality measure different things. Where the official percentiles come from, why the two figures diverge, and what taxes actually change.
How Tax Systems Work: Progressive, Regressive, and Flat Taxes Explained
Why the US tax system looks progressive by one measure and regressive by another, how brackets and payroll caps work, and where the real disagreement lies.