Wealth in America

“It is not great wealth in a few individuals that proves a country is prosperous, but great general wealth evenly distributed among the people . . . It is the struggling masses who are the foundation [of this country]; and if the foundation be rotten or insecure, the rest of the structure must eventually crumble.”

–Victoria Woodhull

First woman to run for President of the United States, 1872

Unequal Wealth Distribution

Currently, America's billionaires collectively hold $6 trillion. To put that into perspective, The US 2023 Federal spending was $6.16 trillion. In 2023, the bottom 50% of Americans held just 3% of wealth, and the top 10% owned more than the bottom 90% combined. From 2001 to 2016, the top 0.1% increased from owning 13.4% of wealth to 15.7%. In that same time frame, upper class families increased their median net worth by 33%, while middle and lower class families experienced a decrease in their median net worth of 20% and 43% respectively.

“We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity, and power in our society.”

–Nelson Mandela

“We should measure the prosperity of a nation not by the number of millionaires but by the absence of poverty, the prevalence of health, the efficiency of public schools, and the number of people who can and do read worthwhile books.”

–W.E.B. Du Bois

“An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.”

–Plutarch

“We can either have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.”

–Louis Brandeis