The crisis of the middle class constitution : why economic inequality threatens our Republic

Resource Information

The work The crisis of the middle class constitution : why economic inequality threatens our Republic represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in European University Institute. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

The crisis of the middle class constitution : why economic inequality threatens our Republic

Title remainder

why economic inequality threatens our Republic

Statement of responsibility

Ganesh Sitaraman

Creator

• Sitaraman, Ganesh

Subject

• Equality -- Economic aspects
• Income distribution -- United States
• Middle class -- United States
• Constitutional law -- Economic aspects -- United States
• Power (Social sciences)
• United States -- Social conditions
• Plutocracy

Language

eng

Summary

"In this original, provocative contribution to the debate over economic inequality, Ganesh Sitaraman argues that a strong and sizable middle class is a prerequisite for America's constitutional system. For most of Western history, Sitaraman argues, constitutional thinkers assumed economic inequality was inevitable and inescapable--and they designed governments to prevent class divisions from spilling over into class warfare. The American Constitution is different. Compared to Europe and the ancient world, America was a society of almost unprecedented economic equality, and the founding generation saw this equality as essential for the preservation of America's republic. Over the next two centuries, generations of Americans fought to sustain the economic preconditions for our constitutional system. But today, with economic and political inequality on the rise, Sitaraman says Americans face a choice: Will we accept rising economic inequality and risk oligarchy or will we rebuild the middle class and reclaim our republic? The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution is a tour de force of history, philosophy, law, and politics. It makes a compelling case that inequality is more than just a moral or economic problem; it threatens the very core of our constitutional system."--

Assigning source

Provided by Publisher

Cataloging source

DLC

Index

index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography