A Republic of Equals: A Manifesto for a Just Society

by Jonathan Rothwell Narrated by Stephen R. Thorne

Overview

Why political inequality is to blame for economic and social injustice



Political equality is the most basic tenet of democracy. Yet in America and other democratic nations, those with political power have special access to markets and public services. A Republic of Equals traces the massive income inequality observed in the United States and other rich democracies to politicized markets and avoidable gaps in opportunity-and explains why they are the root cause of what ails democracy today.



In this provocative book, Jonathan Rothwell draws on the latest empirical evidence from across the social sciences to demonstrate how rich democracies have allowed racial politics and the interests of those at the top to subordinate justice. He looks at the rise of nationalism in Europe and the United States, revealing how this trend overlaps with racial prejudice and is related to mounting frustration with a political status quo that thrives on income inequality and inefficient markets. But economic differences are by no means inevitable. Differences in group status by race and ethnicity are dynamic and have reversed themselves across continents and within countries. A Republic of Equals provides a bold new perspective on how to foster greater political and social equality, while moving societies closer to what a true republic should be.

Editorial Reviews

Choice

"This book is necessary, interesting, and at times surprising."

From the Publisher

"Superb."—-David Brooks, New York Times

Kirkus Reviews

2019-07-28
A searching examination of the decline of democratic ideals in the face of inequality—racial, political, and economic.

"Rising income inequality and slow economic growth have been two of the most striking patterns in rich countries during the last 35 years," writes Rothwell, the principal economist at Gallup. None of the conventional talking-point explanations, from overpaid pop stars to uncontrolled mass migration or unfair trade practices, accounts for this inequality. Instead, writes the author, the explanation lies in the growing inefficiency of societies in which elites have reserved unto themselves more and more of the pie, including most of the available public services, from education to housing. Combing through data with Pikettian single-mindedness, Rothwell examines the rise of this inequality and the correlated decline in confidence in democratic habits, a decline that has made the world safe for nationalist authoritarianism. The author resists easy characterization: Some of his prescriptions are openly liberal, such as the demand for equal access to social goods such as public education and health care, while others are more qualified, such as his view that mass migration must be regulated "so as to protect native citizens from wild distortions in the labor market." A perhaps unexpected but intriguing component of Rothwell's argument is the reform of zoning laws that have effectively destroyed the ability of lower income earners to own homes, a social good of another kind that would "enhance the cognitive ability and lower the crime rate of groups that live in highly segregated high poverty communities." Studded with tables and laced with numbers, the text is dense. It is also striking on many counts, including its fluency in several branches of the social sciences beyond economics. Rothwell has something to say about the allure of both Bono and Beyoncé, the failure of libertarianism, the question of intelligence as a predictor of success ("self-discipline, enthusiasm, and the ability to avoid getting anxious and upset in the face of stress matter about as much"). There's something to ponder on every page.

A sometimes-daunting but essential addition to the discussion of inequality and its remedies.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173895196
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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