Friday, June 08, 2007

The poor are relatively rich in the U.S.


World GDP per capita is about $7,000 per year. But in the U.S. it is about $43,000 per year. A single person household in the U.S. is considered poverty if their income is $9,000 or less.

Now, the excellent Steve Conover shows how the lowest household income quintile actually receives over $20,000 in government services (there are 3 people in an average household). So if you are in the lowest quintile in household income, you receive average of world GDP.

Why would a politician want to change this arrangement? Like Conover says, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Hear that, John Edwards?

No comments:

Post a Comment