Runaway inequality an activist's guide to economic justice Leopold, Les creator author. text nyu 2015 monographic eng print 314 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm "Runaway inequality is now America's most critical economic fact of life. In 1970, the ratio of pay between the top 100 CEOs and the average worker was 45 to 1. Today it is a shocking 829 to one! During that time a new economic philosophy set in that cut taxes, deregulated finance, and trimmed social spending. Those policies set in motion a process that greatly expanded the power of financial interests to accelerate inequality. But how exactly does that happen? Using easy-to-understand charts and graphs, Runaway Inequality explains the process by which corporation after corporation falls victim to systematic wealth extraction by banks, private equity firms, and hedge funds. It reveals how financial strip-mining puts enormous downward pressure on jobs, wages, benefits, and working conditions, while boosting the incomes of financial elites. But Runaway Inequality does more than make sense of our economic plight. It also shows why virtually all the key issues that we face--from climate change to the exploding prison population--are intimately connected to rising economic inequality. Most importantly, Runaway Inequality calls upon us to build a common movement to tackle the sources of increasing income and wealth inequality. As the author makes clear, the problem will not cure itself. It will take enormous energy and dedication to bring economic justice and fairness back to American society." -- Causes of runaway inequality -- The decline of American exceptionalism -- Separate issues, common cause -- Solutions. Les Leopold. Includes index. Includes bibliographical references and index. n-us--- Income distribution United States Equality United States Wealth United States United States Economic policy 2009- United States Social policy 1993- Economic policy Equality Income distribution Social policy Wealth United States Since 1993 fast HC110.I5 L45 2015 339.20973 9780692436301 (pbk.) 0692436308 (pbk.) 2015035233 DLC 150911 20170926145459.0 in00003733631 eng