Two measurements that provide a good snapshot to the state of the nation are both trending down.
According to a
Politico report, care for America's veterans and job training for the unemployed and low-skilled workers both have taken hits in the budget. These factors, writes David Rogers in Politico, could partially illustrate why working-class Americans have grown tired of the status quo and are looking toward Donald Trump for leadership.
In terms of veterans, for example, healthcare costs in that population have increased more than 100 percent in the last 10 years because of aging veterans from the Vietnam War and younger veterans from recent conflicts overloading the system.
Politico cites data that shows the Department of Veterans Affairs' budget has not grown at the rate of inflation, with a $31.5 billion difference in estimated discretionary appropriations during the department's growth from 2006-2016.
That extra money is in the national budget, but it was mostly used in other areas.
Regarding the working class, Politico reports that a strong focus on trade — including the North American Free Tree Agreement (1993) and legislation passed in 2000 about trading with China — is decreasing the budget allocations for training America's blue-collar workers.
The candidates in the presidential race all have their own ideas on fixing these two areas of the budget. Trump, for example, is hoping his business experience will help further persuade voters he knows how to create jobs and get rid of bad trade deals.
Texas Sen.
Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov.
John Kasich both would like to see veterans have more choices when it comes to healthcare.
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