The Distribution of Earned Income among Men and Women, 1958-77.

Abstract

The distribution of income continues to be a lively topic for public policy as well as academic debate. While few, if any, officials have embraced income redistribution as a goal of public policy, many legislative and administrative measures have, in fact, altered income distribution. The extent of such redistribution often becomes a major factor underlying the resolution of tax, welfare, and other economic policy questions. As one example, the 1977 congressional rejection of practically all President Carter's proposals for tax reform reflected a quite different attitude toward income distribution than the atti-