1.The statistic that made the biggest impression on me was the fact that the richest 1% of Americans own more wealth than the entire bottom 90% combined. That really shocked me because it shows just how unbalanced things are. I always knew there were rich people and poor people, but I didn’t realize the gap was that extreme. It made me think about how unfair the system is how so many people work hard every day and still struggle to pay rent or buy groceries, while a small group of people has more than they could ever need.

2. Living in a society with this kind of wealth gap can lead to a lot of problems. People with less money often don’t have access to good healthcare, safe housing, or strong schools. Meanwhile, the wealthy can buy influence, control politics, and make decisions that protect their own money. I see this happening all the time for example, in big cities where luxury condos are being built while homeless people sleep outside. Or when politicians talk more about tax cuts for the rich instead of raising wages. It’s frustrating to watch, and it makes me feel like the system isn’t working for most people.

the statement that 40-50 percent of the one percent own the majority of stocks bonds and land made me feel like it was weird that people can own that much right now because most people don’t have alot to show for within their lifetime.

2.our society has been dysfunctional because of the wealth gap.Many people don’t have enough to raise families with out living paycheck to paycheck while the one percent is using there higher position in life to hire people and underpay them.

1. Which statistic on wealth inequality in the US (discussed on p. 29) made the biggest impression on you? Explain why?
2. What could be some of the implications of living in a society that has such huge wealth inequalities? Do you see this dynamic getting played out in everyday life in our society? How so? Example?