Country research: USA
The content reflects the results of Perplexity's research and analysis and does not represent an expression of opinion by Gradido. They are intended to provide information and stimulate further discussion.
USA & Gradido - Research dossier for a new future
In November 2025, the United States of America finds itself in an extraordinarily tense economic, social and political situation. This comprehensive analysis sheds light on the current challenges and evaluates the potential for adopting a public good-oriented economic model like Gradido as a transformative approach for a more sustainable and equitable future.
Current economic, social and political situation
The Government Shutdown 2025 and its dramatic effects
Since October 1, 2025, the USA has been experiencing the longest complete government shutdown in American history. This prolonged shutdown of the federal government has far-reaching consequences for millions of Americans and highlights the fragility of the political system and its deep-rooted structural problems.^1^3^5
Immediate effects of the shutdown:
About 730,000 federal employees (32% of the federal workforce) are currently working without pay, while 670,000 additional employees have been furloughed and have to stay at home without an income. This number is expected to rise further as government agencies exhaust their financial resources. Critical areas of public services are particularly affected.^4
Air traffic controllers, TSA security personnel and other employees classified as „essential“ must continue to work, but will not be paid. This is leading to massive sick calls and delays in air travel, similar to the previous 2018-2019 shutdown. Active duty military personnel are also working without pay - their first paycheck was not paid on October 15, 2025.^2^7
The situation is particularly dramatic in the Food aid programsThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which 42 million Americans: inside (one eighth of the population) was discontinued. In California alone, 5.5 million people use CalFresh (the Californian version of SNAP) every month. These people have not received food assistance since November 1, 2025.^8
Diverse group of community volunteers working together, exemplifying grassroots engagement and social cooperation in the USA.
Economic consequences:
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that a four-week shutdown would reduce real GDP growth by a full percentage point in the fourth quarter of 2025. If the shutdown lasts six weeks, the decline rises to 1.5 percentage points, and to 2.0 percentage points if it lasts eight weeks. Moody's analysts warn that the economy is already fragile and such an event could become a major problem sooner than expected.^1
About 800 million dollars of new federal contracts are not concluded every day. Unlike government employees, contractors do not receive back pay after the shutdown ends. Many of these companies are small businesses with no other significant clients to carry them during this time.^3
Overall economic situation: slower growth and increasing uncertainty
Beyond the acute shutdown, the US economy will show clear signs of weakness in 2025. GDP growth for the second half of 2025 is forecast at only 0.25% annualized forecast. Global growth is only 1.3% - almost a full percentage point below potential.^10
The Trade policy of the Trump administration places a considerable burden on the economy. An effective tariff rate of 13,4% corresponds to an ex-ante tax increase of 430 billion dollars or 1.4% of GDP. The Chinese government has already responded on March 10 with retaliatory tariffs on US agricultural exports (soybeans, corn, beef), similar to those imposed during Trump's first term. The USDA is forecasting a trade deficit in the agricultural sector of 49 billion dollars - an increase of almost 60% compared to 2024.^11
Inflation and consumer confidence:
Although inflation has come down from its highs, it remains stubborn. Inflation expectations for the coming year were 4.8% in September - well above the 2.8% of December 2024. The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index was 55.4 in September, well below the December 2024 figure of 74.^12
A recent Harris Poll found that 74% of the Americans:inside are experiencing rising prices in their own lives, with monthly increases ranging from $100 to $749. The majority (53%) believe the economy is getting worse, compared to 48% last year.^13
Wealth distribution and poverty in the USA
Extreme wealth inequality
Wealth inequality in the USA has reached new highs in 2025. The richest 10% own nearly two-thirds (about 65%) of all wealth in the United States, while the poorest 50% only 2,5% of total wealth. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the top 10% now control 69% of total wealth, while the bottom 50% own just 3% - taking into account future social security entitlements, the bottom half's share rises to just 6%.^14
The wealthiest cities in the USA are now almost seven times richer than the poorest regions - a disparity that has almost doubled since 1960. Particularly in urban coastal areas, wealth has become concentrated in the hands of the few.^16
Income by ethnicity:
The differences in income according to ethnic origin are serious:^18^20
Asian householdsMedian income of 112,800 dollars (highest group)^18
White (non-Hispanic) households89,050 dollars (increased by 5.7% in 2023)^18
Hispanic households65,540 dollars (no change compared to 2022)^18
Black households56,490 dollars (lowest group, no change compared to 2022)^18
Individual incomes show a similar pattern: the median income for white non-Hispanic Americans is $86,775, for blacks it is $60,012, and for Hispanics it is $54,773.^20
Wealth differences within ethnic groups
The differences in wealth within ethnic groups are particularly worrying:^21
Asian households had a median net worth of $320,900 in 2021, compared to $250,400 for white households
Black households: 27,100 Dollar median
Hispanic households48,700 dollars median
In absolute terms, the wealth gap between white and black and Hispanic households widened from 2019 to 2021. The typical white household had 201,700 dollars more wealth than the typical Hispanic household in 2021, compared to 168,800 dollars in 2019.^21
Within the black community, poorer households were in debt in 2019 and 2021 (with a median net worth of -10,100 dollars in 2019 and -4,000 dollars in 2021). Richer black households had assets of $414,200 in 2021.^22
Poverty in the USA
The Official poverty rate fell to 11.1% in 2023 - this corresponds to 36.8 million people. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) was 12.9%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points compared to 2022. The child poverty rate according to SPM increased by 1.3 percentage points to 13.7% in 2023.^23
Regional distribution of poverty:
The states with the highest poverty rates are predominantly located in the south and southwest:^25
Louisiana: 19.6%
Mississippi: 19.4%
New Mexico: 18.4%
West Virginia: 16.8%
Kentucky: 16.5%
The state with the lowest poverty rate is New Hampshire with 7.2%.^26
The minimum wage as a poverty wage
2025 is the Federal minimum wage officially a „poverty wage“. The annual income of a single adult working full-time, year-round at the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour now falls below the poverty line of $15,650. The minimum wage was last increased in July 2009 and, due to inflation over the past 15 years, has 30% lost its value.^27
An American flag hangs on a rustic barn in a rural agricultural landscape, symbolizing rural American identity and patriotism.
Labor migration, precarious employment and the working poor„
Immigration and labor demand
Net immigration to the USA experienced a remarkable recovery in 2022 and 2023. By 2023, net immigration had not only returned to the level of 1.14 million people according to the Census Bureau, but had even exceeded the 2016 peak. More recent estimates with higher frequency data suggest that the actual figure could be as high as 3 million.^28
Over 11 million immigrants arrived between 2020 and 2025 to the US - including more than 3 million in 2023 alone, the highest annual total ever recorded. This immigration has contributed significantly to the labor supply. The number of foreign-born workers increased by about 2.5 million in 2022 and 1.5 million in 2023. The share of immigrants in the workforce increased from around 14% before the pandemic to almost 16% by 2023.^29
Immigrants helped to alleviate the severe labor shortages in certain industries that were widespread during the coronavirus crisis. In the leisure and hospitality sector, for example, the employment of immigrants increased by over 5.5 percentage points, while the job rate fell by a corresponding 4.4 percentage points.^28
Undocumented workers:
According to estimates 8.3 million undocumented immigrants in the US economy, representing 5.2% of the labor force. They work in the following sectors:^30
Construction: 1.5 million
Restaurants: 1 million
Agriculture: 320,000
Landscaping: 300,000
Food processing: 200,000
There are an estimated 470,100 undocumented workers in New York State, with 56% coming from six countries: Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, China and the Dominican Republic.^30
The „working poor“ and precarious employment
The situation of the „working poor“ - people living in or near poverty despite working full-time - has worsened in 2025. The rising cost of living is hitting low-income earners particularly hard. Delinquency rates on credit cards, student loans and car loans point to weaker spending in the near future.^12
Inflation and cost pressure:
The Consumer Price Index rose by 0.3% (seasonally adjusted) in September, following an increase of 0.4% in August. Gasoline prices accounted for the largest monthly increase at 4.1%. Nearly three-quarters of Americans report rising prices in their lifetime, many with monthly increases between $100 and $749.^13
The New York Times recently reported that more Americans are struggling to make their monthly car loan payments - a sign that low-income consumers are under increasing financial pressure. Redemptions have increased and more indebted drivers are trading in vehicles for cash, even though the vehicle is worth less than their loan, meaning they are in debt.^13
Political polarization, lobbying and corruption
Historical polarization
In 2025, the USA will experience the highest level of political polarization in recent history. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2022 revealed that 72% of the Republicans and 63% of the Democrats view the opposing party as more immoral than other Americans - up significantly from 47% and 35%, respectively, in 2016.^32^34
Most Americans have the feeling that the country is more divided than at any time since the civil war. A Times/Siena poll in October 2025 showed that concerns about the health of the political system overshadow other issues.^34
Misunderstandings and misperceptions:
A large part of the polarization is caused by Misperceptions about ordinary party supporters on the other side. The politicians who receive the most media attention are usually the more extreme members of their party. As a result, people tend to assume that ordinary party supporters hold the same views as their party leaders - which is rarely the case, except among the most extreme voters.^32
Most Americans fall closer to the center. Yet they often feel considerable animosity when evaluating the opposing party based on what they hear from that party's elite and governing members.^32
Record ideological polarization of the parties
In 2024, both the proportion of Republicans who identify as conservative and the proportion of Democrats who describe themselves as liberal reached the same level, Record heights. As party supporters have become increasingly polarized ideologically, this also applies to the elected candidates representing these parties. This leaves less room for cross-party negotiations on key issues and has led to intra-party disagreements between ideologically extreme and centrist incumbents of the same party.^35
Constitutional crisis and concentration of power
The US is experiencing a creeping constitutional collapse. The power of Congress - the most representative branch of the federal government - has diminished over decades through constituency gerrymandering and malapportionment (unequal distribution of mandates or seats among constituencies with different populations), resulting in less competitive and more partisan chambers. Congress has largely ceded control of the budget to the executive branch, and the Trump administration now claims that the president can refuse to spend congressionally appropriated funds by personal fiat - a significant shift in constitutional power.^36
Project 2025 seeks to bring the entire executive branch of the federal government under direct presidential control and eliminate the independence of the DOJ, FBI, FCC, FTC and other agencies. The plan is based on a controversial interpretation of the unitary executive theory - an expansive interpretation of presidential power that aims to centralize greater control of government in the White House.^37
Violence and extremism
The political temperature is dangerously high. The USA is experiencing a historically heightened phase of political violence. In 2017, a left-wing activist opened fire on a gathering of Republican lawmakers at a baseball game. In 2021, Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol. In 2022, an extremist attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer. Trump himself survived two assassination attempts in 2024.^38
The Israel-Gaza conflict has further exacerbated tensions. In May, a gunman shot and killed two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. A few weeks later, there was a Molotov cocktail attack on pro-Israeli demonstrators in Colorado.^38
Cultural strengths: Family, community and volunteering
Despite all the challenges, the USA has remarkable cultural strengths that are crucial for social cohesion and resilience.
Volunteering and civic engagement
About 60.7 million Americans (more than 23% of the population aged 16 and over) formally volunteered through an organization between September 2020 and 2021. In addition, almost 51% of the US population aged 16 and over (124.7 million people) have informally given to their neighbors during the coronavirus crisis.^40
Research shows that volunteers in 2021 will be more than 4.1 billion hours of services rendered, with an estimated economic value of 122.9 billion dollars.^40
Areas of volunteering:
Volunteers in the USA are involved in many different areas:^41^43^45
Delivery of meals to older people (Meals on Wheels)
Transportation of senior citizens to health services
Repair and weatherproofing of homes of low-income and frail elderly people
Advice on health, nutrition, legal and financial issues
Long-term care ombudsman services
Disaster relief (American Red Cross)
Blood donation campaigns
Support for veterans
Environmental protection and nature reserves
Every year, over 10 million people Older Americans Act services, the delivery of which depends largely on the efforts of volunteers.^42
Neighborhood help and local initiatives
Informal neighborly help has increased significantly during the COVID-19 crisis. Almost half of the US population informally helped neighbors in a time of unprecedented need. This shows the deep roots of solidarity and mutual support in American society.^40
Local initiatives and community-based organizations play a central role in social cohesion. Volunteers of America, for example, responds annually to more than 300,000 requests for help through a partnership of professional employees and community supporters.^41
Education and training situation
Crisis in the public education system
The American public education system will be under unprecedented pressure in 2025. The Enrollment at public schools is expected to fall from 50.8 million in 2019 to 46.9 million by 2031 as families increasingly choose homeschooling, charter schools and private education.^46
Academic achievement:
Only 28% of the eighth graders reached an adequate level in math on the most recent NAEP assessment. In 2024, 12th grade reading achievement fell to its lowest level in three decades, with 30% of students lacking basic skills.^47
The Performance gap between high-achieving and low-achieving students is greater than at any time in the last 25 years. NAEP data show that the gap is widest in eighth-grade science and math.^47
Teacher shortage
About 400,000 classrooms are either vacant or filled by teachers who do not meet state certification requirements. Schools with the most acute shortages often rely on full-time substitutes or underqualified hires for core instruction.^46
The Special education teacher shortage continues to leave students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) without the legally mandated supports they need to succeed.^46
Educational inequality by ethnicity
The latest civil rights data show considerable racial disparities in access to preparatory advanced courses:^48
STEM course offer:
Only 48% of high schools offered math (calculus) in 2021-22
50% offered computer science
61% offered physics
At schools with predominantly black and Latin American students(more than 75%) had significantly less access:
Only 35% offered math (compared to 54% in schools with low percentages)
42% offered computer science (compared to 54%)
Advanced Placement (AP) courses:
Black students made up 15% of total high school enrollment, but only:^48
9% of students enrolled in AP Computer Science
7% of students enrolled in AP Science
6% of students enrolled in AP Mathematics
Educational qualifications
91.4% of the Americans 25+ have at least a high school diploma; 38.3% are college graduates A high school diploma lowers unemployment by 30.4%. Compared to high school graduates, associate degree holders have a 30.8% lower unemployment rate; bachelor's degree holders have a 43.6% lower unemployment rate.^49
Healthcare system, social safety nets and access to medical care
Crisis in the healthcare system
The US healthcare system will be in a deep crisis in 2025. Almost a quarter of the adult workforce was underinsured - that is, enrolled in health plans with high deductibles that make it difficult to afford care.^50^52
People skip necessary care, They avoid visits to specialists, fail to pick up prescribed medication and make heartbreaking decisions between necessary treatments and basic needs such as food or rent. At the end of this chain of reactions are completely avoidable poorer health outcomes.^50
Structural problems
The system suffers from several fundamental flaws:^51
Lack of emphasis on primary and preventive care
Dysfunctional payment system
Costly and burdensome liability sector
Harmful policies of the medical-industrial complex
Corporatized supply (controlled by associations and large organizations)
Impending shortage of suppliers and maldistribution
Although the number of uninsured people fell to record lows in all states by 2023, and differences in health insurance coverage between states narrowed, massive problems remain.^53
Labor shortage in the healthcare sector
Persistent labor shortages remain a major concern. By 2037, the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects a 13 percent shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in rural areas and a 5 percent shortage in metropolitan areas. Physician shortages are expected to be even more severe: 60% in rural areas and 10% in metropolitan areas.^54
The proposed White House budget for FY 2026 would eliminate nearly all Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs. In FY 2024, this program provided $305.5 million that supported over 24,000 nurses, students, and faculty.^54
State differences in healthcare provision
The 2025 Scorecard on State Health System Performance shows considerable differences between the countries:^53
Best states: Massachusetts, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, District of Columbia
Worst states: Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, West Virginia
The Infant mortality rate deteriorated significantly in 20 countries between 2018 and 2022. Avoidable premature deaths vary widely between states - the rate in West Virginia is more than twice as high as in Massachusetts.^53
In 42 states and D.C. the preventable mortality rate for blacks is at least twice as high as the rate for the group with the lowest rate.^53
Homelessness - a growing crisis
In 2024, homelessness in the USA has reached a historic high achieved. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 771,480 people homeless in a single night - around 23 per 10,000 people. This represents an increase of over 18% compared to 2023 the highest number since records began.^56^58
Composition of the homeless population:
36% were unprotected (lived in places not suitable for human habitation)
64% lived in emergency shelters, transitional housing or safe haven programs
One third experienced chronic homelessness (at least one year or at least four episodes in the last 12 months)
111,620 children were without an apartment^56
Regional distribution
California and New York have the highest numbers of homeless people:^58
California: about 187,000 people
New York: about 158,000 people
Washington: over 31,000
Florida: over 31,000
More than half of America's homeless people live in the country's 50 largest cities. New York City and Los Angeles alone are home to a quarter of the country's homeless population.^56
Main causes
The Main driver of rising homelessness:^60^57
Lack of affordable housing and shortage of housing supply
Rising housing costs
Economic inequality, aggravated by Corona
End of COVID-19 relief programs
Rising immigration
The estimated number of people struggling with housing insecurity is enormous: More than 9 million people, who have difficulty affording market-rate housing are dependent on federal rental assistance.^61
Political reactions
2025, the executive and legislative branches took steps to drastically downsize the federal government, including reducing investments in housing and other anti-poverty programs. The President has also called for other shifts in homelessness policy, including ending the federal Continuum of Care (CoC) program.^61
An estimated number of 218,000 people (often older adults, people with disabilities and people with health issues) were dependent on the CoC program for housing and services through Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in 2024.^61
Rural-urban divide
The rural-urban divide has become a defining feature of American politics. Since the late 1990s, rural and urban areas have diverged politically, with rural areas increasingly becoming bastions of Republican support and urban areas becoming Democratic strongholds.^62^64^66
Important findings
However, research by Cornell scientists shows that the rural-urban political divide exists only among white Americans. From 1970 through the 1990s, there was a relative balance between Democratic and Republican leanings in rural areas, but „since the late 1990s, rural and urban areas have increasingly become bastions of support for Republicans and Democrats, respectively.“.^64
Black rural districts vote Democratic, as a comparison of the 2020 presidential election district maps with predominantly black districts shows. The percentage of the population identifying as non-white increased in both urban and rural areas, with 25% of rural residents identifying as non-white according to the 2020 Census.^62
Economic factors
As the American economy split into a dynamic, fast-growing metropolitan sphere and a stagnant, slow-growing rural domain, the rural-urban political divide began to take root. While the Democratic Party reinvented itself as the champion of the metropolitan „new economy“ and attracted highly educated knowledge workers, the Republican Party won rural voters by focusing its economic agenda on the slow-growth, low-wage sectors that now dominated the country.^65
Many rural voters viewed these policies as necessary for the survival of low-growth, low-wage industries operating on tight profit margins. Rural Americans became convinced that they simply could not shoulder higher taxes that they believed would be unfairly transferred to metropolitan areas.^65
Myths and realities
The narrative of a rural-urban divide propagates misconceptions about the nature of persistent poverty in America. This framing portrays urban America as diverse, educated, and economically productive, while rural America is characterized as white, dependent on dying industries, and characterized by stagnation, decline, and despair.^67
This binary narrative is not only inaccurate, but has the potential to cause real harm:^67
It prioritizes the political concerns of an imagined white rural monolith and erases the needs of rural people of color
It promotes misconceptions about rural economies
It propagates a myth of place-based poverty
It obscures effective policy and practice solutions for rural economic development
Agriculture and the environment in the USA 2025
Crisis in agriculture
American agriculture faces enormous challenges in 2025. It is Planting time in America's rural heartland - the Midwest, Great Plains and Mid-South Delta states that make up the nation's „breadbasket“. But the usual springtime optimism that drives farmers is dampened by increasingly extreme weather conditions, inflation, uncertainty over federal support policies and, most importantly, a new world of reciprocal tariffs.^68^70^72^73
Main challenges:
Economic burdens:
48% of farmers see rising input costs (fertilizers, pesticides) as a major concern^72
Many are experiencing continuing losses per hectare and difficulties in securing farm loans^72
The agricultural export deficit is expected to reach 49 billion dollars in 2025 - an increase of almost 60% compared to 2024^11
Labor shortage:
Climate change and water stress:
More frequent and more severe weather events affect planting and harvesting times^69^74
Water shortage has become a pressing problem, especially in western states like California^75^77^79
About 50% of US acreage are at risk of moderate to severe soil degradation, which jeopardizes long-term crop productivity^70
Trade policy:
Water scarcity and management
Water shortage poses a growing threat to agriculture across much of the US. Deepening patterns of water scarcity and surplus, combined with over-abstraction of groundwater, extensive drainage networks and misguided governance, are driving up water-related agricultural costs, especially in Midwestern and Western states.^75^77^80
California:
California is home to the largest and most diverse agricultural landscape in the U.S. with gross revenues of over 50 billion dollars. Due to its favorable Mediterranean climate, California produces more than 400 commodities, some of which are not produced anywhere else in the nation. But the combined effects of climate change, groundwater overdraft and misguided management are jeopardizing this productivity.^76
A quarter of the world's crops is grown in areas where the water supply is heavily polluted, very unreliable or both. Rice, wheat and maize - which provide more than half of the world's food calories - are particularly at risk: 33% of these three staple foods are produced using water supplies that are heavily loaded or highly variable.^80
Climate change: diverging perspectives
The effects of climate change on agriculture are controversial. One Report of the US Department of Energy from 2025 challenges the claim that climate change will devastate agriculture, arguing that carbon dioxide stimulates plant growth and „greening“ the planet. The report concludes, „There is reason to believe that, on balance, climate change has been and will be neutral or beneficial for most U.S. agriculture.“.^81
However, this assessment largely contradicts the latest assessment by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Fifth National Climate Assessment, which warned that climate change will make food less available and more expensive.^81
EPA and other studies show other risks:^82
According to a new study, yields of all staple foods except rice in the USA could fall by 20% to 50% go back^83
Regions in the Midwest that are currently ideal for corn and soybean production will face serious challenges in a high warming scenario^83
Agriculture is very sensitive to weather and climate and relies heavily on land, water and other natural resources that are influenced by climate^82
Renewable energies and sustainability
Despite political uncertainties, the Energy transition Progress. 2024 came 54 GW renewable capacities added, an increase of 29% compared to 2023, driven by record levels of solar installations.^84^86
Solar energy:
A record of 39.6 GW of grid-connected solar energy was installed in 2024 to meet the increasing demand from new data centers and electric vehicles and to fill the gap from decommissioned thermal plants. Texas was the largest market for new grid-connected solar energy with nearly 10 GW of new capacity in 2024.^88^84
The installed solar capacity in the USA now amounts to approx. 220 GW, enough to supply over 7% of the nation's electricity. Solar energy surpassed hydropower generation for the first time in 2024.^85
Wind energy and battery storage:
Annual onshore wind installations remained unchanged at around 5.3 GW. Wind development activity has slowed since 2020, mainly due to licensing and grid connection restrictions.^84
Battery storage almost doubled in 2024, with total installed capacity reaching almost 29 GW - and expected to grow by a further 47% in 2025.^85
Challenges 2025:
The year 2025 was a challenging year for renewable energy. The new tax law (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) rolled back many clean energy tax credits and imposed new restrictions, putting pressure on early wind and solar pipelines. Wind and solar investment in the first half of 2025 fell by $18% to nearly $35 billion (before this law took effect) compared to the same period in 2024.^86
Openness to innovation, digitalization and alternative economic models
Digital transformation: high adoption in some sectors, lagging behind in others
The US economy only operates with 18% of their digital potential - an estimated loss of 2 trillion dollars for the economy. This gap is not due to a lack of willingness to invest in new digital technologies, but because of a gap in digital skills and usage.^89
Leading sectors:
The IT technology sector leads all sectors, followed by Media, Finance and insurance and professional services. These four sectors have developed a culture of digital enablement that has driven end-user adoption and usage, expanded their offerings, enabled self-service and more.^89
Lagging sectors:
Government, healthcare and agriculture are lagging behind in technology adoption. They have lower digital spend and resources.^89
Factors influencing technology adoption:
According to a third quarter 2025 report from YouGov on technology adoption and digital literacy in America, adoption is not uniformly distributed across the population. It tends to be concentrated along specific demographic lines, particularly in terms of age and wealth:^91
Age: Younger Americans are more accepting of new technologies and report higher digital literacy, while older age groups show slower adoption and greater reluctance
Wealth and income: Higher income households adopt to a much greater extent. In contrast, low-income groups often face barriers to access (devices, connectivity, training)
Generative AI: rapid adoption, but skepticism
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) had a much steeper increase in users in the first year than other important technologies.
Investments: Investments in new technologies and generative AI were among the highest in companies.^92
Concern: U.S. adults in 2023 were somewhat concerned about the development and growth of generative AI. While most were somewhat concerned, another third were mostly concerned, and relatively few people were excited.^92
Local currencies and cooperatives
Complementary currencies were developed in the USA to strengthen local economies and support small businesses. In June 2025 Supranext announced the launch of its three-tier complementary currency system in the US, consisting of a crypto-based token, physical paper vouchers and metal coins.^93^95
The system aims to work alongside national currencies and provide a new form of liquidity for underserved regions and businesses. „Our goal is to bring vitality to the parts of the US economy that have been left behind,“ says David Baccini, CEO of Supranext.^93
Cooperatives:
About 300 Complementary currencies, including local currencies, are listed in the Complementary Currency Resource Center world database. Cooperatives play a crucial role in strengthening local communities:^97^99^101
Government support: Several city governments in the U.S. have invested in employee ownership and worker cooperatives as a business retention and job creation strategy:^97
Madison Cooperative Development Coalition - Madison approved a budget initiative in 2014 that would allocate $5 million to cooperative development, with $1 million available annually for five years beginning in 2016^98
New York City - Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative^98
Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance^97
Cleveland - Evergreen Cooperative Initiative (launched in 2008): Worker cooperatives that create living wage jobs^98
Austin - Austin Cooperative Business Alliance worked in 2014 to get the Austin City Council to pass a resolution in support of cooperative businesses and secured $60,000 in the 2015 city budget^98
Federal funds: In 2018, the USA adopted the Main Street Employee Ownership Act, which focuses on worker cooperatives. The legislation improves access to capital and technical assistance for worker-owned businesses.^97
The Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program of the USDA helps improve the economic conditions of rural areas by helping individuals and businesses start, expand or improve rural cooperatives.^97
International players and Gradido's potential
The role of international actors (UN, NGOs, transatlantic cooperation) in social change in the USA is limited. The USA is primarily a donor and shaper of international development cooperation, not a recipient country. Nevertheless, international networks and best practices from other countries could provide valuable impetus for the introduction of alternative economic models such as Gradido.
Gradido as an international model:
Gradido could be used as Complementary currency be introduced in parallel with existing currencies in order to:
Strengthening local economic cycles
Rewarding volunteer work
Supporting disadvantaged communities
Financing sustainable projects
Internationally active NGOs and development organizations could serve as multipliers to introduce Gradido concepts to US communities, especially in underserved rural and urban areas.
Potential and hurdles for Gradido in the USA
Greatest potential
Massive dissatisfaction with the current system:
Strong tradition of voluntary commitment:
Existing infrastructure for complementary currencies and cooperatives:
Digital infrastructure:
High penetration of digital wallets and mobile payment systems
Strong IT and tech sectors as potential drivers of technical implementation
Willingness in certain sectors (IT, media, finance) to adopt digital innovations^89
Crisis as an opportunity:
Environmental and sustainability awareness:
Biggest hurdles
Political and legal framework conditions:
Extreme political polarization makes consensus building difficult^32^35
Federal structure requires coordination at federal, state and local level
Regulatory uncertainty regarding complementary currencies and digital currencies
Possible opposition from established financial institutions and the Federal Reserve
Cultural reservations:
Deep-rooted skepticism towards „socialist“ or „redistributive“ models, especially in conservative/rural regions
Strong emphasis on individual responsibility vs. community-oriented approaches
Distrust of state or community monetary systems
„American Dream“ ideology based on individual success and competition
Economic interests:
Lack of trust and social cohesion:
Education and information deficits:
Low financial and economic literacy among large sections of the population
Disinformation and conspiracy theories make factual discussions difficult
Complexity of the Gradido model could make understanding and acceptance more difficult
Media fragmentation and echo chambers prevent uniform communication
Technological access gaps:
Necessary political, social, legal and cultural prerequisites
Political:
Non-partisan coalition to support pilot projects
Adjustment of regulatory framework conditions for complementary currencies
Protection against manipulation by financial elites and lobbying
Transparent, democratic governance structures
Social:
Broad awareness campaigns about Gradido and alternative economic models
Involvement of multipliers (churches, community organizations, trade unions)
Visible success stories from pilot projects
Bridging racial and social divides through inclusive design
Legal:
Clarification of the legal status of Gradido as a complementary currency
Tax regulations for transactions in Gradido
Protection from criminalization or bans
Integration into existing social security systems (optional)
Cultural:
Reframing: Gradido not as „socialism“, but as empowerment and freedom
Emphasis on personal responsibility through „active basic income“ (not passive)
Link to American values: community, neighborly help, pioneering spirit
Respect for regional differences and cultural identities
Possible pilot steps under US conditions
Regional approaches
Cities with progressive government:
Portland (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), San Francisco (California)
Madison (Wisconsin) - has already allocated 5 million dollars for cooperative development^98
New York City - established Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative^97
Austin (Texas) - has cooperative support in the city budget^98
Rural communities in great need:
Appalachia (West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio)
Native American reservations (strong community structures, high poverty)
Rust Belt cities (Detroit, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio - already Evergreen Cooperative Initiative)^98
Regions with a strong cooperative tradition:
Upper Midwest (Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota) - strong agricultural cooperatives
Pacific Northwest - Tradition of alternative economic models
Social groups
Volunteer networks:
Disadvantaged communities:
Homeless aid organizations
Food banks and SNAP recipients (42 million people)^8
Affordable housing projects
Community Health Centers
Agricultural communities:
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) networks
Farmers‘ Markets
Solidarity agriculture initiatives
Organic farming cooperatives
Educational institutions:
Community Colleges
Public Libraries
Adult Education Centers
Youth Programs
Interfaces with existing initiatives
Cooperative movement:
Integration with Cooperative Development Centers (USDA-supported)^97
Partnerships with National Cooperative Business Association
Complementary currencies:
Learning from existing 300+ complementary currencies worldwide^96
Exchange with Supranext and similar initiatives^93
Integration with Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS)
Environmental protection and sustainability:
Partnership with Environmental Defense Fund^75
Cooperation with local climate protection groups
Social movements:
Black Lives Matter - focus on economic justice
Fight for $15 (minimum wage movement)
Universal Basic Income advocates
Degrowth and post-growth movements
Possible pilot scenarios
Scenario 1: „Gradido Volunteer Hour“ in a progressive city
Start in Portland, Seattle or Madison
Volunteer work is rewarded with Gradido points (20 GDD/hour)
Local stores, cafés, farmers' markets accept Gradido for discounts/payments
Integration with existing volunteer programs
Duration: 2-3 years Pilot phase
Scenario 2: „Gradido Rural Resilience“ in Appalachia
Focus on structurally weak rural communities
Combination with local food production, renewable energies
Development of local economic cycles
Involvement of churches and community organizations
Term: 3-5 years
Scenario 3: „Gradido Urban Commons“ in Rust Belt City
Rust Belt towns are industrial and working-class towns in the old industrial regions, which today are often confronted with economic structural change, job losses, emigration and urban decay.
Cleveland, Detroit or Buffalo
Building on existing worker cooperatives (e.g. Evergreen Initiative)^98
Integration with urban agriculture projects
Focus on African-American and Hispanic communities
Duration: 2-4 years
Scenario 4: „Gradido Native Sovereignty“ in reservations
Partnership with Native American Tribes
Respect for self-determination and cultural values
Integration with traditional community structures
Focus on food sovereignty and renewable energies
Term: 5+ years (long-term)
Conclusion
The United States of America faces unprecedented challenges in 2025: a historic government shutdown, extreme wealth inequality, political polarization, crises in education and health, rising homelessness and an agriculture under climate stress. At the same time, the country has remarkable strengths: a strong tradition of volunteerism, existing infrastructure for complementary currencies and cooperatives, and a growing realization that the current debt money system is unsustainable.
Gradido offers transformative potential for the US, but faces significant hurdles: political polarization, cultural reservations about „redistributive“ models, massive economic interests of the financial sector and deep social divides. Successful implementation would require a careful, gradual approach that respects regional differences, builds on existing initiatives and emphasizes American values such as personal responsibility, community and a pioneering spirit.
Pilot projects in progressive cities, structurally weak rural regions, Native American reservations or in cooperation with the strong volunteer movement could provide initial practical experience and serve as inspiration for broader changes. Success will depend on whether Gradido can be perceived not as an „alien“ or „socialist“ system, but as a deeply American answer to American problems as a tool for restoring community, justice and environmental sustainability in a time of unprecedented crisis.