Sources and Notes for Shares in America Illustrations
Shares America Book Extra
Figure 1
US GDP per Capita from Madison Project
Data was downloaded from the indicated source. Credit: Bolt and van Zanden - Maddison Project Database 2023 – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Figure 2
US Income distribution by decile
This data set is published by the Bureau of Economic Analyis and uses various data sources, principally the American Community Survey, to divide the national agregate of Personal Income and Its Dispostion (NIPA table 2.1) into pre and post tax deciles. Note that the totals balance to table 2.1. Personal income on table 2.1 does not include capital gains, realized or not. For how these shares are constructed, see the techincal document at https://apps.bea.gov/data/special-topics/distribution-of-personal-income/technical_document.pdf
Figure 3
US Income Inequality data
The World Inequality Database makes available data by income and wealth group for many countries by year. They provide a tool for selecting and downloading this data. Pre-tax income includes social security and other cash transfers, but does not include in kind services such as Medicare or Medicaid. It also does not include unrealized capital gains. Post tax income includes all taxes: local, state, and federal. Methodology documentation is provided at the site. Numbers balance to national income totals.
Figure 4
US National income, productivity, worker pay
Sources: BEA, BLS. The data can be retrieved from FRED using the link.
Figure 5
Federal budget 2023
US Federal budget for 2023
Figure 6
Distribution of wealth by group
The FED makes available wealth distribution by wealth group as a % of total household wealth. See the linked chart.
Figure 7
Distribution of wealth by group
Using the same data as WW145A, the actual total dollar value of each household groups wealth can be computed from total wealth and average wealth determined by dividing by 1/10 of the total number of households.
Figure 8
Wealth Dist. US & Europe 1900 - 2024
Decline and rise of wealth inquality US compared to EU
Figure 9
Percent of employment in manufacturing by year - rich countries
BLS data for 1970-2012 for international. US longer series is via FRED
Figure 11
US Exports and imports. See SL101
Data from the Federal Reserve via FRED. See link.
Figure 12
Foreign born % of US Population
Data downloaded from the Migration Policy Institute
Figure 14
US Corp profits vs 5% of GDP
Data source is the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) BEA Account Code: A551RC. The data needed to create the chart can be obtained from the link.
Figure 15
Labor force participation rates US
Data from the Bureau of Labor statisics. You can get the data from the BLS data portal using the following series IDs:
Figure These are all BLS Current Population Survey series
Figure All 25-54 LNS11300060
Figure Men 25-54 LNS11300061
Figure Women 25-54 LNS11300062
Figure Men 55+ LNU01324231Q
Figure 17
Living Room/Bedroom/Kitchen in a NYC Tenement
"Poor Family in a Tenement Room" or "Bohemian Cigarmakers at Home," was taken by Jacob Riis around 1910. It depicts a family in a cramped, multi-family dwelling in New York City. Public Domain.
Figure 18
US 2023 budget auth
This is budget auth not actual spending - see the treasury for that
Figure 19
Reagan addressing Heritage Foundation
:Licensed from Getty Images
Figure 20
Same as Figure 2
Same as figure 2
Figure 21
Shares in America tax distribution
Based on the same data as WW126 (Figure 2) with a simple progressive tax added and Shares in America amounting to $1,000 per adult per month added. Note that the share for a household is about $19,000 annually reflecting the aveage number of adults per household.
Figure 22
Net Income growth vs wages per worker
Net National Factor Income vs Nonsupervisory wages etc 2017 CPI adjusted. Data is from the BEA and BLS via FRED. See the link.
Figure 23
Income flows for Shares in America
Why income taxation doesn't hurt the economic engine. Original work.
Figure 24
Income tax rate by group
Average tax rate by income group over time. Includes unrealized capital gains. Saez, Emmanuel, and Gabriel Zucman. 2020. “The Rise of Income and Wealth Inequality in America: Evidence from Distributional Macroeconomic Accounts.” The Journal of Economic Perspectives: A Journal of the American Economic Association 34 (4): 3–26.
Figure 25
Crime stats for the last few decades
PEW Research