IncomeInequality

In tonight's State of the Union, President Obama faces a tough crowd: Millions of Americans unsure about whether he should keep his job. He'll be aiming to win hearts and minds, and at least part of that will be an appeal to our wallets. With that in mind, here are three key points that he is likely to hammer home tonight:

Millions of Americans who once viewed themselves in vague terms now see the world divided into two sharply defined groups: the 99% and the 1%. But the line isn't so clear cut, and many of the wealthy have been reaching across it for quite awhile.

Blue State vs. Red State is so last decade: Now, the dividing lines in America are percentages: 99%, 1%, 53%, 47% ... the list goes on. And figuring out who to sympathize with -- or even who you are -- can leave a person 100% confused. We break down the numbers.

The people occupying Wall Street aren't the only ones worried about the wealth gap. Nearly three-quarters of the people in a new poll conducted by The Hill say that income inequality is a problem for the United States. Fifty-five percent of respondents said income inequality is a big problem, while another 19 percent described it as somewhat of a problem.

One way to measure income inequity, or how far from equal the household incomes are in a state or nation, is the Gini Coefficient. In this measurement (here calculated by the U.S. Census), a score of 0 would represent absolute equality; every household brought in the same amount of money. A score...

Emmanuel Saez, a professor of Economics at UC Berkeley has raised concern about income inequality in the United States. In his recent article, he stated that the income gap is at an all time high; exceeding levels during the Great Depression. His research provides us with a candid look at a telling...

A report released today by the Economic Cooperation and Development shows that among 30 of the world's nations, the United States has the highest rate of "income inequality." This is, of course, touted as a huge injustice from which the world must be saved. How dare there be a gap between the...

While reading a rant on a site by someone who considered herself "lower middle class" and therefore unable to afford certain things in life, I began to ponder where the class lines are really drawn. She quoted her earnings, and that didn't scream lower middle class. To me it was in the middle,...