income inequality

Studies show housing crisis disproportionately affects women

ajc.com — Women on average were already in a more precarious economic position than men, and they appear to be taking much of the housing crisis hit. Sales and prices are down. Foreclosures have spiked in Georgia and across the nation. No one yet has a breakdown of the damage by gender. But studies show that women accounted for more than their share of the risky loans at the crest of the lending and buying boom.

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Alex Carter's picture

Tax Rates for Middle Class Increases; Tax Rates for Rich Decreases

Between 1960 and 2004, the average tax rate fell by nearly 14 percentage points for the top 1% of earners, while it has increased slightly (from 15.9% to 16.1%) for earners in the middle 20%.

Source
John Irons. Corporate tax declines and U.S. inequality. Economic Policy Institute. April 9, 2008.

Voters have specific bad actors in mind. “It’s about big business, not the little guy,” said one member of that Greenberg focus group. 40% of Americans believe big business get whatever they want in Washington; 38% believe leaders have forgotten the middle class; 35% believe America is doing nothing about problems at home. more »

Source
Democracy Corps, “Finding their voice as Agents of change.”
Alex Carter's picture

Shared Prosperity?

The top 1% takes in 22% of all income – more than double their share in 1980.

Source
Robert Kuttner, “How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity.” Alfred A. Knopf. New York: 2007. Lawrence Mishel, “Who’s Grabbing All the New Pie?” Economic Policy Institute. 1 August 2007. Available from: http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20070801
Alex Carter's picture

CEO vs. Worker Pay

In 1980, a CEO made 40 times what the average worker made. Now a CEO makes on average 364 times as much as a worker.

Source
Sarah Anderson, John Cavanagh, Chuck Collins, et. al. Executive Excess 2000. The Institute for Policy Studies. United for a Fair Economy. http://www.faireconomy.org/files/Executive_Excess_2000.pdf. Sarah Anderson, John Cavanagh, Chuck Collins, et. al. Executive Excess 2007. The Institute for Policy Studies. United for a Fair Economy. 29 August 2007. http://www.faireconomy.org/files/pdf/ExecutiveExcess2007.pdf

Striving for Equality: An Honest Assessment

As the Bush administration files an optimistic report to the United Nations on the state of equal opportunity in America, a parallel report by independent experts documents the significant ways in which our government has fallen short in ensuring equal opportunity. more »

Economic Policy Institute

Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that seeks to broaden the public debate about strategies to achieve a prosperous and fair economy.