▁for ▁those ▁at ▁the ▁top . ▁The ▁der eg ulation ▁of ▁the ▁labor ▁market ▁und erm ined ▁un ions ▁by ▁allowing ▁the ▁real ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁minimum ▁w age ▁to ▁pl um met , ▁resulting ▁in ▁employ ment ▁in security ▁and ▁w iden ing ▁w age ▁and ▁income ▁inequality . ▁David ▁M . ▁Kot z , ▁professor ▁of ▁econom ics ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Massachusetts ▁Am her st , ▁cont ends ▁that ▁ne oli ber al ism ▁" is ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁thorough ▁dom ination ▁of ▁labor ▁by ▁capital ." ▁As ▁such , ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁the ▁ne oli ber al ▁era ▁has ▁seen ▁a ▁sharp ▁increase ▁in ▁income ▁inequality ▁through ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁union ization , ▁st agn ant ▁w ages ▁for ▁workers ▁and ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁CE O ▁su pers al aries . ▁According ▁to ▁Em manuel ▁S ae z : ▁ ▁Pennsylvania ▁State ▁University ▁political ▁science ▁professor ▁Pam ela ▁Black mon ▁attributes ▁the ▁tr ends ▁of ▁growing ▁pover ty ▁and ▁income ▁inequality ▁to ▁the ▁convergence ▁of ▁several ▁ne oli ber al ▁policies ▁during ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan ' s ▁presiden cy , ▁including ▁the ▁decre ased ▁fund ing ▁of ▁education , ▁decre ases ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁marg inal ▁tax ▁rates , ▁and ▁sh ifts ▁in ▁transfer ▁programs ▁for ▁those ▁in ▁pover ty . ▁Journal ist ▁Mark ▁B itt man ▁echo es ▁this ▁sentiment ▁in ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁piece ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times : ▁ ▁Fred ▁L . ▁Block ▁and ▁Margaret ▁Som ers , ▁in ▁expand