Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

pat_k

(12,279 posts)
13. Regarding weakening of unions and tax law that facilitated concentration of wealth:
Sun Nov 2, 2025, 07:50 PM
Sunday

I assumed the facts supporting my statements regarding weakening of unions and laws that facilitated, rather than countered concentration of wealth, were widely known, but if not, here you go

Laws that have weakened unions since the 1950s
Taft-Hartley Act of 1947
Landrum-LaGuardia Act of 1959
State-level "right-to-work" laws that diminish collective bargaining power.
Deregulation and lax enforcement of labor laws have indirectly weakened unions by empowering anti-union employer practices.

EPI
Explaining the erosion of private-sector unions
How corporate practices and legal changes have undercut the ability of workers to organize and bargain
https://www.epi.org/unequalpower/publications/private-sector-unions-corporate-legal-erosion/

Tax law facilitating concentration of wealth and wealth inequality

Reduction in Top Marginal Income Tax Rates:
Top marginal income tax rate was 70%. in 1980
Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 lowered this to 50%,
Tax Reform Act of 1986 further reduced it to 28%.
Subsequent acts adjusted this rate, but the general trajectory remained low, sitting around 37% by the end of the period.
These cuts provided massive annual tax reductions for the wealthiest individuals, allowing them to accumulate and invest more income, thus increasing their wealth.

Preferential Capital Gains Tax Rates:
From the 1980's through 2025, capital gains tax rates remained low compared to historical levels and ordinary income rates. This allowed the wealthy, whose income largely derives from capital gains, to grow their fortunes much faster than average wage earners, whose income is primarily from labor.

Weakening of the Estate Tax:
The estate tax, designed to prevent the formation of dynastic wealth, was significantly weakened through changes in exemption levels and rates over the decades. This has allowed larger fortunes to be passed down through generations without being subject to substantial taxation, entrenching wealth concentration over time.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA):
The 2017 tax bill included deep cuts to personal, corporate, and estate taxes that were heavily skewed toward the wealthy and corporations. Key provisions like the 20% deduction for pass-through business income largely benefited the richest business owners. These changes further eroded the tax burden on the top income brackets, contributing to the ongoing rise in wealth inequality.

Thank you for the data. yellow dahlia Sunday #1
Hiding In Plain Sight Mr.Bee Sunday #2
My MAGA relatives would say, Diamond_Dog Sunday #3
I would tell them Mr.Bee Sunday #6
Well, you can imagine how they feel about FDR. Diamond_Dog Sunday #11
Did any of them ever stop to think Diamond_Dog Sunday #22
I certainly heard that line many times over the years in markodochartaigh Sunday #17
EVER SINCE REAGAN, (actually HWBush's CABAL) popsdenver Yesterday #49
++++1000 Diamond_Dog Yesterday #50
If the Republicans continue popsdenver Yesterday #51
Median wage has been stagnant relative to productivity for 45 years. pat_k Sunday #4
Please supply reference links. Not disputing your excerpts, but backup documentation is needed. erronis Sunday #7
Oh! I beg pardon- Mr.Bee Sunday #9
World Economic Forum, Capital in the 21st Century, pat_k Sunday #10
Thank you! erronis Sunday #15
They've been stealing from us for decades Mr.Bee Sunday #12
FWIW pat_k Sunday #14
Regarding weakening of unions and tax law that facilitated concentration of wealth: pat_k Sunday #13
Republicans always talk about "redistribution of wealth". markodochartaigh Sunday #19
Yes, R's have been hellbent on systematically "redistributing wealth" from the hands of the many to the hands of the few pat_k Sunday #23
Why don't the labor unions understand these charts and data? FakeNoose Yesterday #40
Sadly, a great deal of damage had been done by '60. pat_k Yesterday #41
That also means that the current business model Javaman Sunday #5
FDR's concept of the minimum wage: Mr.Bee Sunday #8
And, policies that concentrate wealth in the hands of the few at the expense of the many make for a very fragile economy pat_k Sunday #18
I very much concur Metaphorical Yesterday #34
And who was in charge then? Oh yeah Ronald Reagan. Initech Sunday #16
Yes he certainly did. Diamond_Dog Sunday #20
Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980 KS Toronado Sunday #21
Must do more than raise the minimum wage. Inheritance tax, wealth tax, capital gains taxed higher than labor and... pat_k Sunday #24
Oh there's a ton of stuff we need to get done and quickly. KS Toronado Sunday #32
My big worry is that too few of our electeds are out there advocating for the big stuff. pat_k Yesterday #33
A tax on spending rather than income Metaphorical Yesterday #35
Should be at least $30 per hour MichMan Sunday #31
Seattle's minimum wage is 20.76 and will increase to 21.30 1/1/26 pat_k Yesterday #42
The minimum wage as established in 1938 was 25 cents per hour MichMan Sunday #25
But did it have the same purchasing power? leftstreet Sunday #27
In 1957, J. Paul Getty was worth $2-4 billion dpibel Sunday #30
Raygun made munimum wage political southmost Sunday #26
K&R Bayard Sunday #28
Big corps worked to keep prices down and wages low. Klarkashton Sunday #29
That goes back HarryM Yesterday #36
So glad you pointed this out. cer7711 Yesterday #37
Minimum wage should have been indexed to inflation like Social Security. n/t Buttoneer Yesterday #38
From the comercial. "I was drowning in debt." Hotler Yesterday #39
TOP TEN COUNTRIES of Minimum wage chouchou Yesterday #43
K&R BlueWavePsych Yesterday #44
"republicans"... Godot51 Yesterday #45
When You Say 'Republicans' Mr.Bee Yesterday #46
"... until 1980, when it was frozen for nine years." Grins Yesterday #47
The last Increase Before Reagan Mr.Bee Yesterday #48
In 2025 Mr.Bee 14 hrs ago #52
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Of Course Americans are B...»Reply #13