Money
Who Has How Much and Why
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Described by Newsweek as "a political scientist doing with statistics what Fred Astaire did with hats, canes, and chairs...he makes them live and breathe," Andrew Hacker provides a comprehensive protrayal of income and wealth in American society.
Combining keen insight with a flair for bringing a human dimension to facts and figures, bestselling author Andrew Hacker shows how the changing economy affects our lives. His clear-eyed analysis illuminates the real results of women's fight for salary parity, the impact of affirmative action on the income of minorities, the effect immigration has on the job market, and more.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This intriguing book has two aims: to describe how much individuals and groups in America make and to explain the reasons behind the distribution of income, earnings and wealth. Hacker's (Two Nations ) underlying concern is expressed early: less job security, weaker labor unions and the shrinking middle class exacerbate already large economic gaps. Drawing on secondary sources, he reminds us that we have the most glaring income gap between rich and poor of the industrialized countries. The rich, he stresses, get richer not from salaries but investment income. He suggests that broad-based investment institutions like mutual funds pressure corporate downsizing. Reminding us that welfare was not designed to let people live well, his study raises provocative questions: Why can't we allocate income and earnings more rationally? Why don't we recognize that money gaps lead to greater social misery than in other countries? Unfortunately, those questions range beyond the scope of Hacker's inquiry.
