Final answer:
The richest 1% of Americans controlled 35.4% of the nation's wealth, which would be $25.488 trillion of the $72 trillion total in 2007. However, none of the provided multiple-choice answers match this calculated amount.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves calculating the percentage of the nation's wealth controlled by the richest 1% of Americans in 2007. Given that the nation's wealth was about $72 trillion dollars, and based on the information provided from a 2013 source by Domhoff, the wealthiest 1% of households owned 35.4% of all privately held wealth during a comparable time period. To find the amount of money the richest 1% controlled in 2007, we calculate 35.4% of $72 trillion, which is:
0.354 × $72 trillion = $25.488 trillion
However, the values provided in the multiple-choice answers do not include this figure, suggesting that either the given choices are incorrect, or the source provided for the percentage may not correspond precisely with the year in question. Since none of the provided options match the calculated value, and if assuming the percentage for the richest 1% in 2007 is the same, it is not possible to select a correct answer from the choices given.