Is it true that in today's family, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer?

Question

Is it true that in today's family, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer?

Answer 1

yes, because of the rising prices of gas and other stuff, the percentage of income of poor families in buying gas and stuff are rising. The profits made from the rise in prices are made by rich families.

need to increase taxes for the rich.

Answer 2

This one should not be as difficult to argue as politicians make it out to be. Yes, the rich are getting riciher, and the poor are getting poorer.

Here are some general statistics I want to quote:

The top 1% of Americans (those with incomes that year of more than $348,000) are currently receiving their largest share of national income since 1928 .

Total reported income in the United States increased almost 9 percent last year but average incomes for those in the bottom 90 percent dipped slightly compared with the year before, dropping $172, or 0.6 percent. The gains went largely to the top 1 percent, whose incomes rose to an average of more than $1.1 million each, an increase of more than $139,000, or about 14 percent.

The top 300,000 Americans collectively enjoyed almost as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans. Per person, the top group receives 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom half earned, which is double the income gap since 1980.

Answer 3

Yes, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, RELATIVE to each other.  This is measured by the Gini Coefficient, which is published by the Census Bureau annually.  The Gini Coefficient measures the area between perfect equality in income distribution and the actual distribution (called the Lorenz curve).  The larger this area, the further the actual distribution is from perfect equality, and therefore higher share of income is allocated to the rich.

In the United States, the Gini Coefficient is at the highest level ever reported by the Census Bureau.  It was last reported in 2006 at a level of 0.470.  For reference in 1996 it was 0.455 and in 1986 it was 0.425.  Have a look for yourself at the link below.  The Census Bureau also has many other income tables which you can use to dissect which demographics are actually benefitting the most from the rise in income inequality (see the second link)!

Cheers, hope what you find doesn't scare you too much!

Answer 4

We as a nation are getting poorer because our currency is becoming worthless and the Federal Government won't stop running budget deficits to correct the slide.

As for the poorer getting poorer and the rich, richer. No. That is all media hype. The truth is the US Per Capita Income Rate has increased year over year. We are only getting richer. Just don't compare yourself to anything external, as the currency valuation might skew your numbers.