Inequality & mobility
All 16 modern US presidents ranked by their net score on this single sub-criterion. Good and harm are scored 0–10 independently; net is good minus harm. Click a name for the full scorecard.
New Deal compressed income inequality substantially. Top marginal tax rates rose to 79% (1936) and 94% (1944). Social Security and Wagner Act enabled mass middle-class formation.
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- good·Tier 1·Academic·Unverified
The top decile income share fell from ~45% in 1932 to ~33% by 1945; this 'Great Compression' is the largest peacetime inequality reduction in US history.
Piketty & Saez, 'Income Inequality in the United States 1913-1998' (QJE 2003); IRS Statistics of Income historical tables
War on Poverty programs cut poverty rate from 19% (1964) to 12% (1969). Continued Great Compression.
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- good·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Federal poverty rate fell from ~19% to ~12% across LBJ term, largest single-administration poverty reduction in US history.
census.gov ↗
Continuation of Great Compression. GI Bill participation peaked under Truman; mass middle class formation in progress.
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- good·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Top-decile income share remained at ~33% throughout Truman years; mass GI Bill usage drove unprecedented social mobility.
Piketty & Saez income data, 1945-1953; VA GI Bill usage statistics
Continued Great Compression. Top marginal rate held at 91%. Mass suburbanization enabled middle-class formation.
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- good·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Top-decile income share remained at ~33% during the Eisenhower years, near the Great Compression nadir.
Piketty & Saez income share data 1953-1961; IRS Statistics of Income
Continued Great Compression. Top marginal tax rate 91%; proposed reduction to 65% (enacted under LBJ at 70%).
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- good·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Income inequality remained low; Kennedy proposed substantial top-rate cut that LBJ later enacted, partially ending the high-progressive-tax era.
Piketty & Saez income share data 1961-1963; Revenue Act of 1964
Inequality relatively flat; stagflation hit middle class. EITC expanded modestly.
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- good·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Income inequality remained near Great Compression lows under Carter despite stagflation pressures.
Piketty & Saez income share data 1977-1981
Inequality relatively flat. End of Great Compression. Earned Income Tax Credit proposed (later enacted under Ford). SSI replacement of state programs reduced inequality at the bottom.
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- good·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Top-decile income share remained ~33-34% throughout Nixon years; Great Compression continued holding but ending.
Piketty & Saez income share data 1969-1974
Inequality relatively flat. Earned Income Tax Credit enacted (1975) — first refundable tax credit.
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- good·Tier 1·Primary document·Unverified
EITC enacted under Ford became foundational anti-poverty tax instrument; modest at inception, expanded substantially under Reagan and Clinton.
congress.gov ↗
ARP 2021 child tax credit expansion temporarily halved child poverty. Expansion expired late 2021 — child poverty doubled. Real wage growth at bottom strong; top-1% share continued rising overall.
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- good·Tier 1·Primary document·Unverified
ARP expanded Child Tax Credit to $3,000-3,600 with monthly payments, halving child poverty 2021; expiration end-2021 doubled child poverty back; bottom-quartile real-wage growth strong but inequality trajectory continued.
congress.gov ↗
Top-decile share continued rising despite strong economy. EITC major expansion (1993). Some mobility improvement during late-1990s boom.
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- harm·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Top 1% income share rose from ~14% (1992) to ~17% (2000) despite strong economy; EITC expansion partially offset inequality at bottom.
Piketty & Saez income share data 1993-2001; OBRA 1993 EITC expansion
Inequality continued rising. 1990 budget deal raised top marginal rate from 28% to 31%. Modest reversal of Reagan inequality trajectory.
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- good·Tier 1·Primary document·Unverified
1990 OBRA raised top marginal rate from 28% to 31% — first reversal of Reagan-era top-bracket cuts; modest impact on inequality trajectory.
congress.gov ↗
Top 1% income share continued rising. Recovery benefited high earners disproportionately initially. Bush tax cuts partially extended; top-rate restoration to 39.6% (2013) modest reversal.
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- harm·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Top 1% income share rose from ~17% (2008) to ~22% (2015); ATRA 2012 restored 39.6% top marginal rate; inequality trajectory continued.
Piketty & Saez income share data 2009-2017; American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, Public Law 112-240
Tariffs functioned as regressive consumption tax. TCJA extension prioritized. Anti-DEI executive orders affected workforce diversity programs.
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- harm·Tier 1·Academic·Unverified
Tariff regime functioning as regressive consumption tax estimated to cost average household $1,000-3,000+ annually per multiple analyses.
Tariff economic impact analyses 2025; anti-DEI executive orders
Top marginal tax rate cut from 70% (1980) to 28% (1988). Top 1% income share began its sustained rise (~10% in 1980 to ~14% by 1988). End of the Great Compression.
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- harm·Tier 1·Statistic·Unverified
Top 1% household income share rose from ~10% (1980) to ~14% (1988) under Reagan, ending the Great Compression era and beginning the modern inequality trend that continued through subsequent administrations.
Piketty & Saez income share data; CBO 'Trends in the Distribution of Household Income' historical analysis
TCJA 2017 disproportionately benefited high earners and corporations (corporate rate 35%→21%). Top 1% income share continued rising. CARES Act provided broad benefits during COVID.
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- harm·Tier 1·Primary document·Unverified
TCJA reduced corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% permanently and reduced individual rates temporarily; CBO estimated top 1% received outsized share of benefits.
congress.gov ↗
Top 1% income share rose from ~17% (2000) to ~19% (2008). Tax cuts disproportionately benefited high earners. Bush tax cuts (2001, 2003) ended 1990s fiscal balance.
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- harm·Tier 1·Primary document·Unverified
Bush tax cuts substantially reduced top marginal rates and capital gains/dividends taxes; CBO estimated 65% of benefits flowed to top quintile.
congress.gov ↗