美媒：过去50年，美国人的“获得感”增加了吗？

Group 1 - The core argument of the article highlights that while Americans have seen significant increases in income and wealth over the past fifty years, the middle class is shrinking, leading to greater income inequality [1][3] - Economic policies have effectively contributed to overall income growth, with productivity and GDP steadily increasing, and inflation remaining low since the 1980s [2] - The income distribution structure has shifted from a "shaped" model to a more polarized one, with a growing number of individuals in both the wealthy and low-income brackets, while the middle class diminishes [3] Group 2 - The rising costs of essential services such as healthcare and education have outpaced income growth, leading many families to feel poorer despite having higher bank balances [3] - The perception of a zero-sum game between the ultra-wealthy and ordinary affluent individuals has emerged, raising questions about the true meaning of prosperity and posing challenges for policymakers [5] - The increasing dissatisfaction among the upper middle class may lead to populist movements within both political parties, potentially resulting in more trade and price controls that could impact economic growth [5]