Time and again we hear politicians and public officials preach the need for a powerful middle class. You might then be surprised to learn that “about 82% of America's net worth is owned by the richest 20%, with the next 80% owning only about 18% of America's wealth” (UCSC). Some may say that this disproportion constitutes the beauty of capitalism, the possibility of creating an empire. I argue that the proportions are simply unfair. Why “does the average CEO earn 350 times more than his or her employee” (UCSC)? Let's go back to the past when it comes to the distribution of wealth in this country. The fact is that the economy boomed from the end of World War II until the 1970s. “Incomes grew rapidly and at about the same rate up and down the income scale, doubling roughly in inflation-adjusted terms between the late 1940s and early 1970s” (CBPP). During the 1970s, economic growth slowed and the wealth gap widened. Middle class families were now considered lower class. People relied on the government to help them with social programs. The middle class has weakened and the gap has widened. There have been periods of positive fluctuations, but the middle class has simply never regained the status it had in the past. The fact is that many Americans are uneducated when it comes to saving their money. Living day to day and checking to check is certainly no way to live, but the majority of Americans actually live that way. Most middle- and lower-class Americans don't understand that putting all of their income in a checking account is actually neither the best nor the safest. With today's low interest rates, you lose money if you are fully invested in a money market due to inflation. This...... middle of document ......er/wealth.html>. “A Statistical Guide to Historical Trends in Income Inequality.” » cbpp.org. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2013. Web. April 6. 2014. Smith, Noah. “How to Fix Wealth Inequality in America: Teaching Americans to Be Cheap.” » The Atlantic. Atlantic Pub., March 12, 2013. Web. April 6, 2014. .Pennington, Maura. “To address income inequality, the have-nots must become the doers.” Forbes. Forbes Inc., March 8, 2013. Web. April 6 2014. .