In the deep story, as felt by those I profile in this book, the weary worker waiting in line for the American Dream sees the federal government giving special help to people he perceives as line cutters. Some who benefit are citizens (blacks, women, public sector workers), and others are not (immigrants, refugees, recipients of American foreign aid). We can well understand the worn patience of the one waiting in line, because in truth for most middle- and lower-income Americans, the line has indeed stalled or moved back.
