America pays workers just 27% of what its wealth allows – the worst in the OECD
A study by human rights scholars suggests that the United States is failing to adequately distribute its wealth to promote the general welfare of its citizens. The analysis compares U.S. economic performance against international human rights standards, noting a 25-year trend of underperformance.
Why it matters
This highlights the debate over economic inequality and the government's role in providing social services relative to its total GDP.
As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence , the global data we collect and analyze shows that the country is failing to “promote the general Welfare,” as the Constitution’s framers promised a little more than a decade later.
The article focuses on a critique of U.S. social policy through the lens of human rights, which is a common framing in progressive economic discourse.
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