Income inequality, or the widening income gap between the rich and the poor, is the most discussed universal and controversial issue. It is an issue of great concern as history has shown that it can create costly, bloody, social and political instability as evidenced by French and Russian Revolutions and Arab Spring events. Many causes have been cited for the widening income gap between the rich and the poor including economic development, technological change, trade openness, financial development, and changes in labor market institutions, redistributive policies and education attainment. This thesis focuses ...