The big rise in taxes for most Americans came in the 1970s.
Since peaking in 1981, the average tax rate paid by an upper-middle-income family (earning twice the national median) has ticked down; for families in the middle, the decline has been sharper.
Top marginal rates -- the tax on the last dollar earned -- have plummeted. Low rates plus the recession have brought tax revenue as a percentage of GDP to the lowest point since 1950.
NEXT: Is the corporate tax too high?
