This feeling of disillusionment experienced by American society with its wealth-oriented government is corroborated by the fact that many members are wealthy or have direct ties to wealth, perpetuating the trend of income inequality through decision-making. The legislative branch of government, or the branch directly involved in political and legislative decision-making, is populated by various members of enormous wealth representing many sectors of the economy that played a role in the financial collapse of 2007 and 2008. Overall, the Members of Congress are undeniably richer than the voters they represent in government. In 2012, the “average salary” of a member of the Senate was approximately $2.7 million and the average wealth of a representative of the House was approximately $600,000. While members of Congress are substantially wealthier than ordinary Americans, some members of Congress are wealthier than others due to prior efforts before politics. The richest member of Congress in 2012 was Darrell Issa, a Republican from California, with a net worth of about $600 million, behind the second richest member of Congress, Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia with a net worth of $418. million dollars ("Net Worth"). This is in stark contrast to America's average GDP, or gross domestic product, which is about $52,000. The extreme disparity between the net worth of multimillionaire representatives and that of the average American demonstrates that Congress is more likely to make laws that benefit itself rather than the less prosperous, thus widening the income inequality gap. As a result of obtaining extravagant wealth, many "lawmakers appear to have a stake in big-name, recognizable companies and properties," which makes...... half of the document ......2012>.“Transcript by the Constitution of the United States." The Charters of Freedom. Archives.gov and Web. February 27, 2014. “Turnout Rates for the 2012 General Election.” Election project in the United States. George Mason University, 2012. Web. February 27, 2014. “2012 Presidential Race.” OpenSecrets.org. The Center for Responsive Politics, 2012. Web. May 25, 2014. “Trends in the Wealth of Members of Congress.” OpenSecrets.org. The Center for Responsive Politics, nd Web. 25 May 2014. .Williams, Roberton. “CBO Details Growing Income Inequality in the United States.” Forbes. Forbes, December 9, 2013. Web. February 27. 2014. .