icians ▁( where ▁need ▁for ▁campaign ▁contributions ▁from ▁the ▁rich est ▁out we igh s ▁popul ist ▁ind ignation ), ▁media ▁( la ud ing ▁business ▁genius ), ▁un ions ▁( cr ushed ) ▁– ▁are ▁now ▁silent . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁politics , ▁K rug man ▁post ulated ▁change ▁in ▁norm s ▁of ▁corpor ate ▁culture ▁have ▁played ▁a ▁factor . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 6 0 s , ▁corpor ate ▁execut ives ▁had ▁( or ▁could ▁develop ) ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁pay ▁themselves ▁very ▁high ▁compens ation ▁through ▁control ▁of ▁corpor ate ▁bo ards ▁of ▁direct ors , ▁they ▁rest rained ▁themselves . ▁But ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁average ▁real ▁annual ▁compens ation ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁ 1 0 0 ▁C . E . O .' s ▁sky ro cket ed ▁from ▁$ 1 . 3 ▁million ▁– ▁ 3 9 ▁times ▁the ▁pay ▁of ▁an ▁average ▁worker ▁– ▁to ▁$ 3 7 . 5 ▁million , ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁times ▁the ▁pay ▁of ▁ordinary ▁workers ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁Journal ist ▁George ▁Pack er ▁also ▁sees ▁the ▁dram atic ▁increase ▁in ▁inequality ▁in ▁America ▁as ▁a ▁product ▁of ▁the ▁change ▁in ▁attitude ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁el ite , ▁which ▁( in ▁his ▁view ) ▁has ▁been ▁transition ing ▁itself ▁from ▁pill ars ▁of ▁society ▁to ▁a ▁special ▁interest ▁group