▁media ▁attention , ▁and ▁political ▁interest . ▁ ▁In come ▁inequality ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁grew ▁significantly ▁beginning ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁after ▁several ▁dec ades ▁of ▁stability . ▁The ▁US ▁consist ently ▁exhib its ▁higher ▁rates ▁of ▁income ▁inequality ▁than ▁most ▁developed ▁nations , ▁arg u ably ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁relatively ▁less ▁reg ulated ▁mark ets . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Cong r essional ▁Bud get ▁Office , ▁" the ▁precise ▁reasons ▁for ▁the ▁[ re cent ] ▁rapid ▁growth ▁in ▁income ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁are ▁not ▁well ▁understood ", ▁but ▁" in ▁all ▁lik elihood ," ▁an ▁" inter action ▁of ▁multiple ▁factors " ▁was ▁involved . ▁Research ers ▁have ▁offered ▁several ▁potential ▁rational es . ▁ ▁Vari ous ▁rational es ▁conflict ▁or ▁overlap . ▁They ▁include : ▁global ization ▁– ▁L esser - sk illed ▁American ▁workers ▁have ▁been ▁losing ▁ground ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁competition ▁from ▁workers ▁in ▁Asia ▁and ▁other ▁emer ging ▁econom ies . ▁ ▁skills ▁– ▁The ▁rapid ▁pace ▁of ▁progress ▁in ▁information ▁technology ▁has ▁increased ▁the ▁relative ▁demand ▁for ▁higher - sk illed ▁workers . ▁super st ars ▁– ▁Comp ens ation ▁in ▁many ▁se ctors ▁ ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁tournament ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁winner ▁is ▁rich ly ▁reward ed , ▁while ▁the ▁run ners - up ▁get ▁far ▁less . ▁This ▁affect s ▁both ▁workers ▁and ▁invest ors ▁( in ▁dominant ▁fir ms ). ▁ ▁imm igration ▁– ▁Rel atively ▁high ▁levels ▁of ▁imm igration