<P> "...most government transfers are not from the rich to the poor . Instead, government takes from the relatively unorganized (e.g., consumers and general taxpayers) and gives to the relatively organized (groups politically organized around common interests, such as the elderly, sugar farmers, and steel producers). The most important factor in determining the pattern of redistribution appears to be political influence, not poverty . "</P> <P> "The direct transfer of cash and services is only one way that government transfers income . Another way is by restricting competition among producers . The inevitable consequence--indeed, the intended consequence--of these restrictions is to enrich organized groups of producers at the expense of consumers . Here, the transfers are more perverse than with Medicare and Social Security . They help relatively wealthy producers at the expense of relatively poor (and, in some cases, absolutely poor) consumers . Many government restrictions on agricultural production, for example, allow farmers to capture billions of consumer dollars through higher food prices (see agricultural subsidy programs). Most of these dollars go to relatively few large farms, whose owners are far wealthier than the average taxpayer and consumer (or the average farmer). Also, wealthy farmers receive most of the government's direct agricultural subsidies ." </P> <P> Some consider the U.S. government's progressive - rate Income Tax policy as redistributive, because some of the tax revenue goes to social programs such as welfare and Medicare . </P> <P> In a Progressive Income Tax system, a high income earner will pay a higher tax rate (a larger percentage of their income) than a low income earner; and therefore, will pay more total dollars per person . </P>

In 2006 government income transfers redistributed what percentage of national income