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The American government gives the most help to those who need it least.

In Chapter 5: How We Rely on Welfare, Desmond explains how the tax code provides more financial benefit to affluent and extremely wealthy Americans than poor people receive from social welfare programs. Many common tax breaks do not apply to the poorest Americans, since they require owning a home, having a job that provides health insurance, and similar privileges. Although poor people may pay less income tax, they overall spend a greater proportion of their income on taxes, especially sales tax. While social welfare programs are more visible forms of government aid, tax breaks are of greater total value than programs for the poor.

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