As the American population gets older, the country’s reliance on government support such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, is rapidly rising.
The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2022, more than half of all U.S. counties drew at least a quarter of their income from government aid, compared to fewer than 1% of America's counties in 1970 and roughly one in 10 counties in 2020 drawing a significant share of their income from federal and state safety-net and social programs.
According to research by the bipartisan think tank Economic Innovation Group, the dramatic growth is attributed to rising health care costs for seniors, who make up a larger share of the population, as well as the loss of manufacturing in many communities, causing economic challenges.
The upcoming election doesn’t show much promise of addressing the national debt as presidential candidates Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump haven’t said much about reining in government spending.
Rather, both candidates have offered plans that would add to the costs, as many of the counties that rely heavily on government safety-net and social-program money are clustered in the battleground states that will decide the election.
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