Some interesting census numbers....

[boutons_deux]

You don't have to like it, but that's how we measure growth in economic terms.

it's useful as BMI, even more so now that GDP goes mainly to the 1% and corps, not the 99%.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

You don't have to like it, but that's how we measure growth in economic terms.

In fairness a couple of states are moving to other metrics for economic status.

[ElNono]

In fairness a couple of states are moving to other metrics for economic status.

Point well taken, but the OP is talking about federal welfare from what I understood.

[boutons_deux]

The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence. Our results provide substantial support for theories of Economic Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism

http://pando.com/2014/04/18/new-shocking-research-proves-that-rich-people-control-american-politics/

duh

and there's no solution