Final answer:
Class warfare in the US is characterized by the growing division between the wealthy and the poor, despite periods of widespread prosperity. Policies contributing to economic inequality and political decisions such as the Citizens United ruling have intensified this class divide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of class warfare in the United States has historical roots that extend over several decades. Although the post-World War II era, often referred to as "The Affluent Society," saw an increase in material wealth among many Americans, it was also marked by a growing divide between the rich and the poor. Scholarly analysis, like that of Harvard economist John Galbraith, critiqued the concurrent existence of immense wealth and pervasive poverty, foreshadowing contemporary concerns about increasing economic inequality.
By the 1970s, the gap between rich and poor began to widen significantly, a trend exacerbated by economic policies such as Reaganomics and the economic restructuring away from manufacturing. This era also witnessed shifts in campaign finance with the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. FEC, which allowed unlimited corporate and union contributions to Political Action Committees, arguably increasing the political influence of the wealthy and heightening concerns over an emerging oligarchy in U.S. politics.
In the 21st century, urban schools in America became more segregated, the middle class shrank, and the gap between the wealthiest and the rest of the populace stretched further. Despite historical high wages and low unemployment, the reality for many was overshadowed by an economic system where the rich grew richer while the average American's wages stagnated, and poverty rates increased, contributing to health issues, societal unrest, and psychological impacts.