Book cover of Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age

Book description

An acclaimed examination of how the American political system favors the wealthy-now fully revised and expanded

The first edition of Unequal Democracy was an instant classic, shattering illusions about American democracy and spurring scholarly and popular interest in the political causes and consequences of escalating economic inequality. This revised, updated,…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Unequal Democracy as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I found this book useful in understanding the anachronistic nature of the U.S. constitution and how the institutions of democracy came under pressure by the powerful forces of inequality caused by technological change, globalization, and bailout capitalism until the political system morphed into a plutocracy. 

Plutocracy means that the general will of the population was not mirrored in the laws of the land because the super-rich influenced the legislators. It is not true that most Americans want to have easy access to military-style machine guns. It is not true that most Americans want the federal minimum wage to be at…

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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

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