The United States undoubtedly maintains an extremely high standard of living. Those considered “poor” in the United States still earn considerably more than most people in the world. It's almost easy to ignore the idea of ​​economic inequality when the majority of US citizens have food to eat and a bed to sleep in. Nonetheless, the United States boasts the second highest level of income inequality in the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay US politicians love to talk about "levelling the playing field" and creating a free and fair economy when in reality favoritism is a driving force in the US economy. Politicians hand-pick winners and losers through bailouts, subsidiaries, tax breaks, and government policies. Ultimately, a company is nothing without a proper lobbyist. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, or so they say. Forty years ago, the income of the middle class not only increased in line with economic growth, but also increased more than that of the rich. Currently, the majority of US citizens see little or nothing of the economic health we are experiencing. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the income earned by the 50 poorest fell from 20 percent in the 1980s to 12.5 percent in 2014. Meanwhile, income increased by 121 percent for the top 10, by 205 percent. for the top 10 and 636% for the top 0.001%. Evidently economic generosity is going straight to the top. The effects of economic inequality are only perpetuated by the U.S. government's failure to adequately allocate government spending. Americans give up about 30% of their income to federal, state and local taxes. Nonetheless, government redistribution has done little to offset pre-tax inequality. Government redistribution has largely gone to the elderly and middle class. Individuals in the bottom 50 earn an average of 25,000 in after-tax income, only slightly above the 20,000 earned by someone in the bottom 50 in the 1970s. Ultimately, the US tax system is failing in its purpose of helping the poor. The current state of economic inequality is troubling enough; however, the situation risks getting worse. One explanation for the dramatic increase in inequality is that increased globalization and technology have allowed a small portion of skilled individuals to benefit from the change, disproportionately affecting economic income and wealth. Please note: this is just an example. Get an article habit now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Ultimately, it seems like the American dream no longer exists. The American economy is a rigged system in which wealth and poverty are circumstantial. Those born poor will probably remain so, just as those born rich will probably remain rich.