The tripling of the $3-a-day extreme poverty population in the United States over the last 35 years to more than four million people is a national shame that persists amidst unprecedented American prosperity and productivity. The wealth is there, but the political will to distribute it equitably is not.
This failure stands in severe contrast to China’s monumental success in lifting nearly a billion people out of extreme poverty during the same period. While China’s approach involved state control, the outcome on poverty reduction is undeniable.
The income data highlights the structural issue: the poorest 10% of Americans receive just 1.8% of the national income, a share smaller than that received by the poor in numerous developing nations, indicating that policy decisions consistently favor the top income earners.