Summary: Unequal Democracy E-Book

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• Herausgeber: Political Book Summaries
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 15

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

The must-read summary of Larry M. Bartels’ book: “Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age”. 
This complete summary of "Unequal Democracy" by Larry M. Bartels, a prominent American political scientist, presents his account of the truth behind several myths about American politics. In his book, the author mainly exposes the fact that the gap between the rich and the poor has widened considerably under Republican administrations, leaving the country completely unequal. Bartels argues that this is due to the political choices made by governments that favor the wealthy. 

Added-value of this summary:• Save time
• Understand the wealth gap in America
• Expand your knowledge of American politics and economics
To learn more, read “Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age” to investigate the consequences of America’s income gap and the ability to satisfy democratic ideals.

Leseprobe

Book Presentation: Unequal Democracy by Larry M. Bartels

Book Abstract

Unequal Democracy debunks many myths about politics in contemporary America, using the widening gap between the rich and the poor to shed disturbing light on the workings of American democracy. Bartels asserts that elected officials respond to the views of affluent constituents, but ignore the views of poor people and he shows that Republican presidents in particular have consistently produced much less income growth for middle-class and working-poor families than for affluent families, greatly increasing inequality.

Bartles also challenges conventional explanations for why many voters seem to vote against their own economic interests, contending that working-class voters have not been lured into the Republican camp by “values issues” like abortion and gay marriage, as commonly believed, but that Republican presidents have been remarkably successful in timing income growth to cater to short-sighted voters.

About the Author

Larry Bartels is one of the country’s leading social scientists. He is the Donald E. Stokes Professor of Public and International Affairs and the director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at Princeton University.

Summary of Unequal Democracy (Larry M. Bartels)

Introduction

Roughly 50 years ago, political scientist Robert Dahl posed a rather profound question: “In a political system where nearly every adult may vote but where knowledge, wealth, social position, access to officials, and other resources are unequally distributed, who actually governs?” Dahl concluded, at the time, that political power was at least fairly well dispersed despite considerable disparities in wealth.