How Oligarchy Undermines Democracy

In the United States, elections hold our representatives accountable. But voters get a limited slate of options—and significant economic redistribution is usually excluded from the ballot. Meanwhile, economic inequality in the United States is growing to record levels, and many wealthy Americans are paying a lower effective tax rate than most of their fellow citizens. Jeffrey Winters joins host Alex Lovit to discuss American oligarchy, how it distorts our democracy, and what we can do about it. Jeffrey Winters is a professor of political science and director of the Equality Development and Globalization Studies program at Northwestern University. He is the author of several books about oligarchy, wealth, and democracy, most recently The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracies.

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