▁to ▁promote ▁equal izing ▁" g overn ment ▁inter vention ▁and ▁changes ▁in ▁private ▁sector ▁behavior " ▁has ▁had ▁the ▁greatest ▁impact ▁on ▁inequality ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁Soci ologist ▁J ake ▁Rosen feld ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Washington ▁arg ues ▁that ▁labor ▁un ions ▁were ▁the ▁primary ▁institution ▁fighting ▁inequality ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁helped ▁grow ▁a ▁multi eth nic ▁middle ▁class , ▁and ▁their ▁decl ine ▁has ▁resulted ▁in ▁dimin ishing ▁prospect s ▁for ▁U . S . ▁workers ▁and ▁their ▁families . ▁Tim othy ▁No ah ▁estimates ▁the ▁" decl ine " ▁of ▁labor ▁union ▁power ▁" respons ible ▁for ▁ 2 0 %" ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁D iver gence . ▁While ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁union ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁factor ▁in ▁decl ining ▁middle ▁class ▁in comes , ▁they ▁have ▁retained ▁their ▁cl out ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁In ▁Den mark , ▁influ ential ▁trade ▁un ions ▁such ▁as ▁F ag ligt ▁F æ lles ▁For bund ▁( 3 F ) ▁ensure ▁that ▁fast - fo od ▁workers ▁ear n ▁a ▁living ▁w age , ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁$ 2 0 ▁an ▁hour , ▁which ▁is ▁more ▁than ▁double ▁the ▁hour ly ▁rate ▁for ▁their ▁counter parts ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁of ▁ ▁techn ological ▁change ▁as ▁an ▁explanation ▁for ▁the ▁" Gre at ▁D iver gence " ▁of ▁income ▁levels ▁in ▁America ▁point ▁to ▁public ▁policy ▁and ▁party ▁politics , ▁or ▁" st uff ▁the ▁government ▁did , ▁or