“There are several reasons why the top 1% has done so much better, says Josh Bivens, EPI’s research and policy director. These include tax cuts for the rich, deregulation of Wall Street and big increases in executive compensation. At the same time, the weakening of unions and the failure of the minimum wage to keep up with inflation depressed the wages of the middle class. ‘Intentional policy decisions in Washington and at the state level shifted bargaining power from workers to those at the top,’ Bivens said.” (Click here for story.) Yet, many people keep voting for the politicians responsible for these policies.