The United States is currently experiencing the greatest economic inequality since the 1920s, and this inequality is depressing the economy. The true sustainers of the economy are the bottom 99 percent of households, but the top 1 percent takes in 93 percent of the growth in income. Also, economic inequality is undercutting tax receipts, which are vital for infrastructure, education, and research. This is because income earned by the rich is taxed at a far lower rate than income earned by the middle class.

The following arguments were abstracted from newspaper articles, editorials, and letters to the editor. Use the method presented in this section to construct argument patterns. If a statement is redundant or plays no role in the argument, do not include it in the pattern.