<img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/multimedia/icons/interactive_icon.gif" alt="Interactive" width="9" height="9" border="0"> More Americans Rely on Government Benefits

<img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/multimedia/icons/interactive_icon.gif" alt="Interactive" width="9" height="9" border="0"> More Americans Rely on Government Benefits

Almost half of the country lives in households that receive benefits, like Medicare.