Restriction: Must be in Government & Politics program.

The United States has one of the highest levels of economic inequality in the developed world. While some level of economic inequality is inherent and even desirable in a capitalistic economy, many scholars believe that the level of inequality that prevails in the United States erodes generalized levels of trust, poisons interpersonal relationships, and ultimately makes it far more difficult to govern a democratic society. This course examines the roots of American economic inequality, with a tight focus on how laws adopted through democratic processes have resulted in a huge transfer of wealth from the hands of the many to the hands of the few.