Twentieth Century Fund 1995-1996 Annual Report W hether measured in terms of income, wealth, standard of living, or opportunity, the gap between the rich and most other citizens is wider now in the United States than it has been at any time since the Great Depression.
Poverty continues to rise and average income, after adjusting for inflation, remains stagnant.
Twentieth Century Fund projects in this area are aimed at finding ways to enhance economic prosperity and equity for all citizens. Fund efforts are targeted at public policies that would improve living standards for working Americans at every wage level. Fund authors are exploring new approaches to these controversial issues that would assure that those in need receive assistance that genuinely improves their lives and strengthens the nation's social fabric. Market outcomes can also produce inequities that, left unattended, are unacceptable. Fund projects advocate wise regulatory, fiscal, and trade policies intended to alleviate the unfair consequences of the market without unduly impairing efficiency.