In 2001, soon after George W Bush was inaugurated, I called the White House press office for comment on the latest IRS income data. The deputy spokesperson expressed disbelief at the official figures I read, so much so that I asked, “What do you think is the median income shown on tax returns in America?” The answer: $250,000. The actual figure at the time: $28,000.

—David Cay Johnston
Divided: The Perils of Our Growing Inequality