Fact: number of people in poverty falls during periods of economic growth

Exhibit A: new data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census



See, the number in poverty sometimes drops a lot such as during the 1960s and 1990s. Sometimes the decline is more modest (the 80s, the early and late 70s). But the number of Americans in poverty never, ever rises during periods of economic growth, right? Er, wait a minute, let me look at that graph again...