$1,400,000
$1,200,000
281%
Average Income
(After taxes, including public
and private benefits; 2007 dollars)
250%
200%
$1,000,000
1979
$800,000
150%
2007
$600,000
100%
Percent Change
$400,000
$200,000
59%
16%
23%
25%
50%
35%
$0
0%
Poorest
fifth
Second
fifth
Middle
fifth
Fourth
fifth
80th to
Top 1
99th
Percent
percentiles
Declining Progressivity at the Top
80%
Average Federal Tax Rate
Top 1%
70%
Top .1%
60%
Top .01%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
Cloture Filings to End Senate Filibusters, 1921-2010
140
105
70
35
0
“In all cases where
justice or the general
good might require new
laws to be passed, or
active measures to be
pursued, the
fundamental principle of
free government would
be reversed. It would be
no longer the majority
that would rule: the
power would be
transferred to the
minority.”
—James
Madison,
Federalist #58
Lobbying Expenditures
(Billions—adjusted for inflation)
$4.0
$3.5B
$3.5
$3.0
$2.5
$2.0
$1.8B
$1.5
$1.0
$0.5
$.4B
$0.0
1983
1998
2009
http://www.leedrutman.com/uploads/2/3/0/1/2301208/explaining
_the_growth_of_corporate_political_activity.pdf
18%
Top 1 Percent’s Share of National
Income (Excluding Capital Gains)
1973*
16%
14%
Final Year**
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
%
Non-US
Finland,
Norway,
Sweden
France,
Australia,
United States
Germany, Italy, Canada, N.Z.,
Netherlands
U.K.