Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy: An Agenda for Growth and Shared Prosperity

by Joseph E Stiglitz Narrated by Fred Sanders

Overview

Inequality is a choice.

The United States bills itself as the land of opportunity, a place where anyone can achieve success and a better life through hard work and determination. But the facts tell a different story-the U.S. today lags behind most other developed nations in measures of inequality and economic mobility. For decades, wages have stagnated for the majority of workers while economic gains have disproportionately gone to the top one percent. Education, housing, and health care-essential ingredients for individual success-are growing ever more expensive. Deeply rooted structural discrimination continues to hold down women and people of color, and more than one-fifth of all American children now live in poverty. These trends are on track to become even worse in the future.

Some economists claim that today's bleak conditions are inevitable consequences of market outcomes, globalization, and technological progress. If we want greater equality, they argue, we have to sacrifice growth. This is simply not true. American inequality is the result of misguided structural rules that actually constrict economic growth. We have stripped away worker protections and family support systems, created a tax system that rewards short-term gains over long-term investment, offered a de facto public safety net to too-big-to-fail financial institutions, and chosen monetary and fiscal policies that promote wealth over full employment.

Editorial Reviews

JANUARY 2016 - AudioFile

This book, written by economist Joseph Stiglitz and the Roosevelt Institute, looks at inequality in the American economy and what can be done to rewrite the rules so they work for all Americans. Fred Sanders provides an excellent narration in a calm, even voice. There’s a lot of content covered in the reading, including explanations of the current structure of the economy, policy decisions that have led to this point, and practical ideas for moving forward. Rather than getting bogged down in the names and concepts, Sanders provides a straightforward narration, with clear pauses to give the listener time to process Stiglitz’s ideas. Overall, Sanders provides a solid reading directed at listeners who want to understand and digest the ideas presented. E.N. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172078606
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	11/02/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

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