An assessment of three other conference papers summarizing knowledge of the inequalities in the distribution of personal income, education, and educational opportunities leads to fundamental questions about the appropriate framework and goals of public policy in the field of education, inequality, and life chances. Without a clear perception of the targets and instruments of public policy, the adequacy of statistical knowledge cannot be evaluated nor necessary improvements suggested. In this comment, some of the issues relevant to these matters are outlined. Also, the state of knowledge about the distribution of income is reviewed and extended. Policy issues about distributional objectives based on data about income distribution are raised. The focus throughout the paper is on income distribution since this is, to an important degree, the focus of the policy objectives considered in the conference of which this paper is a part. If, as seems likely, distributional issues will play a larger role in public policy, priority should be given in official statistical work in each country to the development of distributions of what we have called market and social income. The agenda for research should also include efforts to determine how much equality is optimal for a given country. (Author/AM)