Americans more reliant on government aid: Think tank

U.S. government benefit handouts constitute nearly a fifth of American income, more than double the proportion in the 1970s, as reported by the Economic Innovation Group think tank. The average American receives 17.6% of their income from the government due to an aging population and rising healthcare costs, according to EIG.
Government income has grown nearly three times faster than other income sources over the last 50 years, amid stagnant wages and rising recession impacts, EIG found. Findings also say that neither party has much incentive to look for fixes to these issues, as much of the government support goes to swing states.