Showing results for "Political Process" in Economic History

Following a remarkable epoch of greater dispersion of wealth and opportunity, we are inexorably returning towards a more feudal era marked by greater concentration of wealth and property, reduced upward mobility, demographic stagnation, and increased dogmatism. If the last 70 years saw a massive expansion of the middle class, not only in America but in much of the developed world, today that class is declining and a new, more hierarchical society is emerging. The new class structure resembles that of Medieval times.

Historian Sean Wilentz presents two key insights that together reveal a clearer, much-needed vision of American political history. First, partisanship has almost always been a feature of American history and in fact has made possible the nation's greatest social reforms. There is little to be gained from a "postpartisan" political world. Second, the recent attention to economic inequality has a long history. From the founders' generation to the present, America's egalitarian tradition has appeared and reappeared like an underground river.

The Great Recession, institutional dysfunction, a growing divide between urban and rural prospects, and failed efforts to effectively address immigration have paved the way for a populist backlash that disrupts the postwar bargain between political elites and citizens. Whether today's populism represents a corrective to unfair and obsolete policies or a threat to liberal democracy remains up for debate. To respond to today's crisis, good leaders must strive for inclusive economic growth while addressing social and cultural issues, including demographic anxiety, with frank attention.

Che cos'è l'Europa? La definizione più azzeccata ce l'ha data Jacques Delors: l'Europa è un "oggetto politico non identificato". Un Ufo. Perché l'Europa non è né uno stato né una vera e propria organizzazione internazionale. Partendo dai suoi padri fondatori e madri fondatrici, Virginia Volpi traccia una breve, felice storia della nascita della Ue. Ci spiega quali sono le sue istituzioni più importanti e come funzionano, i cambiamenti che ha portato a livello politico ed economico negli stati aderenti. Ci racconta i valori su cui si fonda ma anche i problemi.