We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: If it feels like you’re getting screwed in this economy, it's because you are – and now a new study helps explain why.  

A new report from the Economic Policy Institute contains a staggering finding: Over the past four decades, if U.S. workers’ wages had risen at the same rate as their productivity, the typical worker would be earning about $10 more per hour right now.

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In other words, American workers are working harder and producing more than ever for their employers. They’ve earned a $10/hour raise. We’re not just talking the minimum wage - we mean a $10 raise across the board. But greedy corporations have been allowed to pocket the productivity gains for themselves rather than give workers their fair share. 

This isn’t the first time that analysts have quantified the damage done by trickle-down economics. You might remember the RAND Corporation report from last year that put the total cost of failed neoliberal policies over the same time period at a mind-numbing $50 trillion worth of wages that have been diverted from the paychecks of working Americans to the top 1%. 

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But what makes this new report so important is that it identifies the causes of this problem.

The authors make crystal clear that, contrary to 40 years of claims from trickle-downers, wage suppression isn’t the inevitable result of the “invisible hand” of the market. Rather, it was the result of deliberate choices by policymakers – Republicans and Democrats alike – who have governed under the misguided influence of neoliberal economics, which argues that giving the wealthy tax breaks and slashing regulations on big corporations would result in good-paying jobs trickling down for the rest of us.  

There aren’t any magical market forces to blame here, just intentional, bad policy choices. Trickle-down economics has dominated policymaking since the 1970s, and American workers have paid the price. Quite simply, these policies decisions that supposedly would help typical Americans have never trickled down, and they never will.

But what now? What do we do with irrefutable evidence that our policymakers built an economy that robbed everyday workers of their earning potential and fueled income inequality? First, we need a decisive majority of lawmakers on Capitol Hill to acknowledge and take responsibility for the intentional policy choices that got us here. And we need a commitment from them to walk away from the failed trickle-down economic policies forever.

And then we also need to build up robust worker protections. As the report’s authors prescribe:

Inequality will stop rising, and paychecks for typical workers will start rising robustly in line with productivity, only when we enforce labor standards and embrace policies that reestablish individual and collective bargaining power for workers.

The very wealthy were able to suppress everyday workers’ wages and accumulate more wealth for themselves through purposeful (and legal) mechanisms that undercut job security, eroded collective bargaining, weakened labor standards, and maximized their profits at the cost of good-paying American jobs.

It’s up to grassroots movements like ours – movements that have fought for progressive economic policy change and won – to speak out and force bold action at the federal level. We cannot sit idly by and let economic inequality continue to run wild for another four decades.

So we’re calling on 5,000 members of this team to speak out and force our lawmakers to listen: Will you add your name now to demand Congress take bold, immediate action to reduce income inequality and build an economy that works for everyone?

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Hey, while you’re here: At Civic Action we’re trying to buck the status quo and expand the middle class through activism and education. We’re not afraid of making a little trouble, but we can’t do it without your help. Will you pitch in to support our efforts? We promise to put every penny toward ending the neoliberal stranglehold on our economic and political system. Pitch in now:

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