According to a new poll conducted by CNN Marketplace and Edison Research, 71 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. economy is “rigged in favor of certain groups.”
The poll gave three options for how respondents perceived the American economic system: it favoring certain groups, it being fair to all Americans, or not having an opinion.
Regardless of race or political preferences, the survey found that all groups surveyed felt as if they were put at an inherent disadvantage.
It is clear that the idea of a “rigged economy” has become a hot button issue in the American political sphere. While Bernie Sanders may have started pushing the idea that the U.S. economy favors the wealthy, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have also begun to propose that the current system is unfair.
Some statistics back up this notion.
For example, adjusting for inflation, the average American family makes about the same amount on average that they did 20 years— $54,000. In addition to stagnant wages, many Americans don’t have much of any savings or assets.
Dead end jobs have become a big fear for Americans, and inequality continues to rise, particularly for those who are not in at least the upper middle class.
The two major presidential candidates have different solutions for narrowing the gap. Trump proposes bringing back jobs from overseas, while Clinton has proposed raising minimum wage to at least $12 an hour.
Either way, it will take some work to reinstill faith in the average American.
