The Future of Capitalism series
Steve Keen, Can We Avoid Another Financial Crisis?
Ann Lee, Will China’s Economy Collapse?
Danny Dorling, Do We Need Economic Inequality?
Malcolm Sawyer, Can the Euro be Saved?
Chuck Collins, Is Inequality in America Irreversible?
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Copyright © Chuck Collins 2018
The right of Chuck Collins to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in 2018 by Polity Press
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All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-2254-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Collins, Chuck, 1959- author.
Title: Is inequality in America irreversible? / Chuck Collins.
Description: Malden, MA : Polity Press, [2018] | Series: The future of capitalism | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017045295 (print) | LCCN 2017048494 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509522545 (Epub) | ISBN 9781509522507 (hardback) | ISBN 9781509522514 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Income distribution--United States. | Poor--United States. | Wealth--United States. | Equality--United States.
Classification: LCC HC110.I5 (ebook) | LCC HC110.I5 C5866 2018 (print) | DDC 339.2/20973--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017045295
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I am most grateful to my colleagues at the Institute for Policy Studies and our Program on Inequality and Inequality.org team – especially Sarah Anderson, John Cavanagh, Josh Hoxie, Bob Lord, Anny Martinez, Jessicah Pierre, Sam Pizzigati, and Basav Sen.
Throughout this book are citations from and attributions to a wide community of scholars, researchers, analysts, agitators, and organizers. My gratitude is expressed, in part, through these footnotes. A special thanks to Brooke Harrington for her work on hidden wealth. S.M. “Mike” Miller has been an important mentor over the years.
Many thanks to the team at Polity, especially George Owers. Thanks also to readers, including Colin Gordon.
This book is dedicated to all those who work each day for an equitable and just society.