AP article: Income Gap Up Over Two Decades, Data Show

[phylny]

August 16, 2004 02:41 PM EDT


WASHINGTON - Over two decades, the income gap has steadily increased between the richest Americans, who own homes and stocks and got big tax breaks, and those at the middle and bottom of the pay scale, whose paychecks buy less.



New government data also shows that President Bush's tax cuts have shifted the overall tax burden to the middle class from the wealthiest Americans.


http://start.earthlink.net/newsarticle?cat=6&aid=D84GGS2O0_story

[papau]

1. Even under Clinton the gap increased - but in 90's poor got less poor

unlike the Reagan/Bush41/Bush43 years.

:-)

[patdem]

2. I want to see a graph! Without a graph the numbers are meaningless

Was there a sudden shift?? Who knows?? Did it go up and down over the last two decades?? Who knows?? I DEMAND A GRAPH OVER THESE TWO DECADES!!! Starting with Reagan of course!!!

[papau]

3. can not find a graph - and basic data is hard to find! - time for my nap!

http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/incineq/p60204/p6098tb2.html

Income Inequality (1967-1998) - Table 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 2. Household Shares of Aggregate Income
by Fifths of the Income Distribution: 1967-1998

Fifths Top
Year Lowest Second Middle Fourth Highest 5 Percent

1998 3.6 9.0 15.0 23.2 49.2 21.4
1997 3.6 8.9 15.0 23.2 49.4 21.7
1996 3.7 9.0 15.1 23.3 49.0 21.4
1995 3.7 9.1 15.2 23.3 48.7 21.0
1994 3.6 8.9 15.0 23.4 49.1 21.2
1993 3.6 9.0 15.1 23.5 48.9 21.0

1992 3.8 9.4 15.8 24.2 46.9 18.6
1991 3.8 9.6 15.9 24.2 46.5 18.1
1990 3.9 9.6 15.9 24.0 46.6 18.6
1989 3.8 9.5 15.8 24.0 46.8 18.9
1988 3.8 9.6 16.0 24.3 46.3 18.3
1987 3.8 9.6 16.1 24.3 46.2 18.2
1986 3.9 9.7 16.2 24.5 45.7 17.5
1985 4.0 9.7 16.3 24.6 45.3 17.0
1984 4.1 9.9 16.4 24.7 44.9 16.5
1983 4.1 10.0 16.5 24.7 44.7 16.4
1982 4.1 10.1 16.6 24.7 44.5 16.2
1981 4.2 10.2 16.8 25.0 43.8 15.6
1980 4.3 10.3 16.9 24.9 43.7 15.8
1979 4.2 10.3 16.9 24.7 44.0 16.4
1978 4.3 10.3 16.9 24.8 43.7 16.2
1977 4.4 10.3 17.0 24.8 43.6 16.1
1976 4.4 10.4 17.1 24.8 43.3 16.0
1975 4.4 10.5 17.1 24.8 43.2 15.9
1974 4.4 10.6 17.1 24.7 43.1 15.9
1973 4.2 10.5 17.1 24.6 43.6 16.6
1972 4.1 10.5 17.1 24.5 43.9 17.0
1971 4.1 10.6 17.3 24.5 43.5 16.7
1970 4.1 10.8 17.4 24.5 43.3 16.6
1969 4.1 10.9 17.5 24.5 43.0 16.6
1968 4.2 11.1 17.5 24.4 42.8 16.6
1967 4.0 10.8 17.3 24.2 43.8 17.5

Note: Change in data collection methodology suggests pre-1993 and post-1992
estimates are not strictly comparable (A New Mode of Data Collection).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey, March 1968-1999
http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/incineq/p60tb3.html

Income Inequality - Table 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 3. Mean Income Received by Each Fifth and Top 5 Percent of
Households, 1967 to 1994
(Households as of March of the following year. Income in 1994
CPI-U-X1 adjusted dollars.)

Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest Top 5
Year fifth fifth fifth fifth fifth percent
1994./14/... 7,762 19,224 32,385 50,395 105,945 183,044
1993./13/... 7,602 19,134 32,073 49,843 103,846 178,234
1993./12/... 7,601 19,124 32,060 49,816 101,113 167,408
1992./11/... 7,698 19,205 32,356 49,669 96,240 152,751
1991........ 7,903 19,748 32,803 50,006 95,895 149,649
1990........ 8,158 20,444 33,768 50,913 98,804 157,335
1989........ 8,391 20,797 34,570 52,292 102,221 165,153
1988........ 8,148 20,441 34,189 51,681 98,665 155,610
1987./10/... 8,045 20,331 33,991 51,378 97,709 153,940
1986........ 8,037 20,084 33,609 50,630 95,831 150,126
1985./9/.... 7,984 19,595 32,525 48,925 91,390 140,975
1984........ 7,996 19,313 32,005 48,189 88,608 133,757
1983./8/.... 7,795 18,887 31,226 46,859 86,032 129,986
1982........ 7,756 18,790 31,103 46,258 84,841 128,198
1981........ 7,954 18,856 31,237 46,564 83,176 123,600
1980........ 8,073 19,316 31,875 46,959 83,728 125,122
1979./7/.... 8,239 19,955 32,900 48,281 86,647 132,146
1978........ 8,358 19,870 32,808 48,061 85,805 130,605
1977........ 8,238 19,250 31,842 46,655 83,198 127,276
1976./6/.... 8,178 19,254 31,663 45,982 81,383 123,999
1975./5/.... 8,001 18,844 30,916 44,924 79,316 120,364
1974./5/4/.. 8,312 19,751 31,830 45,971 81,447 123,800
1973........ 8,063 19,988 32,661 46,953 83,271 126,903
1972........ 7,730 19,687 32,127 46,119 82,798 128,330
1971./3/.... 7,310 19,012 30,826 43,824 77,652 119,100
1970........ 7,281 19,359 31,176 43,947 77,810 119,432
1969........ 7,361 19,620 31,351 43,911 77,184 118,808
1968........ 7,202 19,034 30,186 42,113 73,754 114,189
1967./2/.... 6,638 18,098 28,897 40,430 73,267 116,784
NOTES to Table 3: See Table 2.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Go to Income Inequality
Go to Income Statistics



Last Revised: Wednesday, 12-May-2004 17:04:05 EDT

[Green Lantern]

4. Take a look at

Kevin Phillips "Wealth and Democracy" -- many charts and graphs on just this subject. Good read for a rpug.

No more Bushwa