Many people are aware that income inequality has increased over the past twenty years.
Upper-income groups have continued to do well, decade after decade, while others, particularly those without a college degree, and especially the young, have seen their real income decline. Those at the top of the income distribution who are being asked to contribute more are the very people whose incomes grew most rapidly. Almost all discussions of distributional issues have centered on income. Income in any year is a measure of a household's economic position but it can vary greatly from year to year. A high income still can leave a household vulnerable.