<P> Summarizing Bartels's findings, journalist Timothy Noah referred to the administrations of Democratic presidents as "Democrat - world", and GOP administrations as "Republican - world": </P> <P> In Democrat - world, pre-tax income increased 2.64% annually for the poor and lower - middle - class and 2.12% annually for the upper - middle - class and rich . There was no Great Divergence . Instead, the Great Compression--the egalitarian income trend that prevailed through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s--continued to the present, albeit with incomes converging less rapidly than before . In Republican - world, meanwhile, pre-tax income increased 0.43 percent annually for the poor and lower - middle - class and 1.90 percent for the upper - middle - class and rich . Not only did the Great Divergence occur; it was more greatly divergent . Also of note: In Democrat - world pre-tax income increased faster than in the real world not just for the 20th percentile but also for the 40th, 60th, and 80th . We were all richer and more equal! But in Republican - world, pre-tax income increased slower than in the real world not just for the 20th percentile but also for the 40th, 60th, and 80th . We were all poorer and less equal! Democrats also produced marginally faster income growth than Republicans at the 95th percentile, but the difference wasn't statistically significant . </P> <P> The pattern of distribution of growth appears to be the result of a whole host of policies, </P> <P> including not only the distribution of taxes and benefits but also the government's stance toward unions, whether the minimum wage rises, the extent to which the government frets about inflation versus too - high interest rates, etc., etc . </P>

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