The average American relying on federal government assistance now receives more in benefits than the average American’s disposable personal income. The 2012 Index of Dependency on Government published by The Heritage Foundation reports Americans who rely on government receive an average $32,748 worth of benefits, surpassing the average American’s disposable personal income of $32,446. Overall, some 67.3 million Americans, or almost 22 percent, rely on the federal government for housing, food, income, student aid, or other assistance.
Supporting those 67.3 million Americans costs U.S. taxpayers about $2.5 trillion each year. More than 70 percent of federal spending goes toward these dependency programs. The problem is compounded by the fact that 49.5 percent of American workers pay no federal income tax.
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