Instigator / Pro
0
1294
rating
75
debates
18.0%
won
Topic
#1489

Economic growth is not benefiting the masses, and inequality will sabotage any benefit to the few

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
0
12
Better sources
0
8
Better legibility
0
4
Better conduct
0
4

After 4 votes and with 28 points ahead, the winner is...

MisterChris
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
3
Time for argument
Three days
Max argument characters
10,000
Voting period
One week
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
28
1762
rating
45
debates
88.89%
won
Description

Congratulations, Californians. Your median hourly earnings have gone up by 1% since 1979, according to a new report from the California Budget & Policy Center. It might hurt that wealthy Californians have seen gains that are 40-times higher, but we’ve become accustomed to this sort of disconnect. Stocks rallied yesterday over news of revived trade talks, then slid this morning on weaker-than-expected jobs data. Sixty-nine percent of Americans say the state of their personal finances is the same or better than it was two years ago, and many are optimistic about the economy. And yet, and yet—that number for mid-wage Californians says a lot about where we are in the country as a whole. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/09/the-rot-in-the-obama-trump-economy-is-beginning-to-stink economic progress is not seen by the majority eventually this will lead to disaster

Round 1
Pro
#1
The American middle class is stable in size, but losing ground financially to upper-income families   About half (52%) of American adults lived in middle-class households in 2016. This is virtually unchanged from the 51% who were middle class in 2011. But while the size of the nation’s middle class remained relatively stable, financial gains for middle-income Americans during this period were modest compared with those of higher-income households, causing the income disparity between the groups to grow.  https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/06/the-american-middle-class-is-stable-in-size-but-losing-ground-financially-to-upper-income-families/

Con
#2
Resolution:

Judges, keep in mind that the resolution is the following: “Economic growth is not benefiting the masses, and inequality will sabotage any benefit to the few.” 

This resolution has duel claims, meaning my opponent must prove both that economic growth does not benefit the majority of Americans and that the rich do not receive as many benefits due to inequality. Without proving both, my opponent must lose since he carries the burden of proof. 

That said, let us dive into rebuttals. 
(I will not include the description as an argument.)

Rebuttals:

- My opponent’s argument is entirely copied and pasted except for his opening sentence.

- My opponent’s claim that middle Americans are experiencing moderate growth currently does not prove that economic growth does not benefit them. In fact, my opponent’s evidence disproves this claim: 
Financially, middle-class households in the U.S. were better off in 2016 than in 2010. The median income of middle-class households increased from $74,015 in 2010 to $78,442 in 2016, by 6%. Upper-income households (where 19% of American adults live) fared better than the middle class, as their median income increased from $172,152 to $187,872, a gain of 9% over this period. Lower-income households (29% of adults) experienced an income gain of 5%, about the same as the middle class.
- My opponent’s claim that inequalities have grown does not prove that economic growth does not benefit nor does it prove that rich benefactors are having their gains sabotaged. In fact, this disproves that very claim. 

- My opponent’s sources use small time windows and ignore major job growth. 

Thank you. 
Round 2
Pro
#3
Forfeited
Con
#4
Extendo!
Round 3
Pro
#5
Forfeited
Con
#6
Extend.