The Conscience of a Liberal: Reclaiming America From The Right - Hardcover

Krugman, Paul

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9781846141072: The Conscience of a Liberal: Reclaiming America From The Right

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1846141079 ISBN 13: 9781846141072

Publisher: Allen Lane, 2008

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From the Back Cover:

'One of the most agile and persuasive voices of progressive thought in recent years' Jay Parini, Guardian

Why has the gap between the poor and the super-rich become such a gulf in the past few decades? Why are so many so disillusioned with the political system? Have we moved from democracy to plutocracy, and can anything be done?

Paul Krugman, one of the US's most respected economists and outspoken commentators, traces America's path to its present inequality, showing how an organized, hardline conservative movement took from the country the gains of Roosevelt's New Deal and pushed it back to the age of the robber barons. He also reveals how the right have exploited cultural, racial and economic divisions to their advantage ever since - and not just in America.

Krugman argues that the time is now ripe for another era of great reform; that America can be reclaimed from the right. The Conscience of a Liberal lays out his vision of a fairer, more democratic and more equal society. It will become a lodestone work of political thought.

'A radical critic of American political economy ... Krugman's arguments will prove vital in the months and years ahead' Peter Beinart, The New York Times

'Characteristically bold ... forcefully argued ... the case Krugman makes for a revitalization of US public institutions is worth reading' Edward Luce, Financial Times

Synopsis:

In "The Conscience of a Liberal", Paul Krugman, one of the US' most respected economists and outspoken commentators, lays out his vision of a New Deal for a fairer society. After the Second World War it seemed that, in the West, society was gradually becoming more equal. Welfare States had been established in many countries, there was a general reduction in income inequality and in America Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal seemed to ensure strong democratic values and broadly shared prosperity. So what went wrong? Why, in the past thirty years, has the gap between the poor and the super-rich become such a gulf? Why are we so disillusioned with the political system? And what can be done about this huge economic inequality and bitter polarization?Krugman argues that the time is ripe for another era of great reform. Here he outlines a programme for change, explaining what can be done to narrow the wealth gap. And he shows how a new political coalition can both support and be supported by reform, making our society not just more equal but more democratic. "The Conscience of a Liberal" promises to reshape public debate and become a touchstone work.

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