▁didn ' t ▁do ". ▁They ▁argue ▁these ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁tr end ▁of ▁decl ining ▁labor ▁union ▁membership ▁rates ▁and ▁resulting ▁dimin ishing ▁political ▁cl out , ▁decre ased ▁exp end iture ▁on ▁social ▁services , ▁and ▁less ▁government ▁red ist ribution . ▁Moreover , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁advanced ▁economy ▁without ▁a ▁labor - based ▁political ▁party . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁several ▁state ▁legisl atures ▁have ▁launched ▁initi atives ▁aim ed ▁at ▁lower ing ▁w ages , ▁labor ▁standards , ▁and ▁work place ▁prote ctions ▁for ▁both ▁union ▁and ▁non - union ▁workers . ▁ ▁The ▁econom ist ▁Joseph ▁St ig l itz ▁arg ues ▁that ▁" Str ong ▁un ions ▁have ▁helped ▁to ▁reduce ▁inequality , ▁whereas ▁we aker ▁un ions ▁have ▁made ▁it ▁easier ▁for ▁CE Os , ▁sometimes ▁working ▁with ▁market ▁forces ▁that ▁they ▁have ▁helped ▁shape , ▁to ▁increase ▁it ." ▁The ▁long ▁fall ▁in ▁union ization ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁since ▁W W II ▁has ▁seen ▁a ▁corresponding ▁rise ▁in ▁the ▁inequality ▁of ▁wealth ▁and ▁income . ▁A ▁study ▁by ▁Krist al ▁and ▁C ohen ▁reported ▁that ▁rising ▁w age ▁inequality ▁was ▁driven ▁more ▁by ▁decl ining ▁un ions ▁and ▁the ▁fall ▁in ▁the ▁real ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁minimum ▁w age , ▁with ▁twice ▁as ▁much ▁impact ▁as ▁technology . ▁ ▁Political ▁parties ▁and ▁pres idents ▁Liberal ▁political ▁scient ist ▁Larry ▁Bart els ▁has ▁found ▁a ▁strong ▁correlation ▁between ▁the ▁party ▁of ▁the ▁president ▁and