Class Warfare Index

46.2 million          Number of people living in poverty in the United States

15.1                      Per cent of Americans living in poverty

6.7                        Per cent of Americans living in “deep poverty” less than 50% of the poverty level

0                           Number of times poverty was mentioned by either candidate in the 2008 Presidential Debates.

24                         Per cent of total US wealth held by top 1%

$46,495                Median US income in 2009

7.1%                     Decline in median US income since 1999

9.9                        Per cent of Caucasian Americans living in poverty

25                         Per cent of African Americans living in poverty

50 milion              Number of people in US without health insurance

33                         Per cent of Hispanic Americans without health insurance

11.1                      Per cent of Americans living in poverty in 1973, after the “War on Poverty”

15.2                      Per cent of Americans living in poverty, in 1983, three years into Reaganomics

$22,050                Federal poverty level for a family of four

$44,100                Income needed to provide basic needs for a family of four

15 million             Number of US children living in poverty

21                        Per cent of children living in US in poverty

36                        Per cent of all people living in poverty who are children

64                        Per cent of total national wealth controlled by top 5%

87                        Per cent of national wealth controlled by top 20%

13                        Per cent of national wealth controlled by bottom 80% of population

38                        Per cent of Bush tax cuts that went to top 1%

1                          Percent of Bush tax cuts received by bottom 20% of population

$520,000             Average Bush-era tax cut for top .01% of households

$2.6 trillion          Total increase in federal deficit attributed to first ten years of Bush tax cuts

$5 trillion             Cost of extending Bush tax cuts for next decade

$400 Billion         Total amount spent on interest to finance first ten years of Bush tax cuts

-7.4%                   Decrease in real family income for bottom 20% of families between 1979 and 2009

+72.2%                Increase in real family income enjoyed by the top 5% of families between 1979 and 2009

+116%                 Increase in real family income enjoyed by bottom 20% of families between 1947 and1979

+86%                   Increase in real family income enjoyed by top 5% of families between 1947-1979

1980                    Year Reaganomics and trickle down economics began impacting federal tax codes

236                      Number of Congressional Republicans branding Obama’s efforts to fairly tax the wealthiest Americans as “class warfare”