Fall 2021
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Angus Deaton: “Inequality in America: The deaths of despair”
September 7, 2021
On September 7, Nobel Prize winning economist Professor Sir Angus Deaton, Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of Economics and International Affairs Emeritus at Princeton University, discussed how income inequality and the decline of the American working class has caused a surge of deaths in the past 30 years. His talk focused on the root causes of inequality with a specific focus on the inequalities between people with or without a bachelor’s degree.
He discussed how over the previous 30 years there has been a surge of deaths from accidental overdoses, suicides, and alcohol related liver diseases, or otherwise deaths that are the result of an environment of despair. Deaton noted that those without a college degree are much more likely die from a death of despair than a person with a college degree, which attributed to the lower standards of living and economic prospects working class Americans experience. These lower standards of living for working class Americans have complicated origins, but appear to be rooted in the declining social esteem in which blue collar workers are held, in addition to the loss of many blue collar jobs that has created a tailspin of social degradation and isolation that can ultimately result in a suicide or drug related death.
In closing Professor Deaton noted that while he was still a big believer in the fundamental structure of capitalism where entrepreneurs are rewarded for their ideas “the point at which you have to stop is when you’ve got a very large number of Americans who are completely shut out of the political process…you’ve got to make sure that you don’t stifle the next generation of innovators who are going to come along afterwards.”
Bruno Baltodano: “Inequality in Bolivia: Elections and indigenous self-determination”
September 15, 2021
On September 15, Florida SouthWestern State professor Bruno Baltodano discussed indigenous self-determination and inequality in the Americas, with a focus on elections in the rural highlands of Bolivia.
According to Baltodano, Bolivia is attempting to address the systematic unequal treatment of indigenous peoples. These take form in the exploitation of artefacts and history, the leftovers of the encomienda system of forced labor, suppression of indigenous culture, unequal access to democracy, and continuing economic neglect rooted in colonialism.
Bolivia is focusing on decolonizing its political systems, recently passing a new constitution that enshrines basic land and voting protections for native Bolivians. The Jilakatas elections created by these reforms are run by indigenous communities and select pairs of leaders via direct voting, and are an important element in establishing election rights for indigenous communities.
Near the end of his talk, Baltodano noted that self-determination is a keystone of democracy. Democratic nations must acknowledge the denial of self-determination to indigenous people and equalize systems of democracy that perpetuate colonialism and inequality.
James Gibson: “Judging Inequality: The Role of Courts”
September 29, 2021
On September 29, James Gibson, the Sidney W. Souers Professor of Government at the University of Washington in St. Louis, gave a talk on the overlooked role state supreme courts play in exacerbating inequality in the United States.
Gibson categorized ‘equality’ and ‘anti equality’ by three categories based on workers’ rights, protecting minorities, and access to the law. Gibson and his colleagues analyzed over 6000 state level supreme court cases from 1990 to 2015 and found that state supreme courts ruled in favor of inequality roughly half of the time. Gibson found that the judges’ ideology played a role in determining whether the judge ruled in favor of or against equality, though the correlation was not as strong as predicted because 70 percent of supreme court cases were decided unanimously.
Gibson argued that one of the strongest indicators of state level supreme court’s rulings was the entrenched political cultures of each state. State level supreme courts rarely rule against the status-quo beliefs of each state which also promotes inequality by consistently siding with the powers that be of each state.
Aaron Bobrow- Strain: “Immigration inequality at the US-Mexico border”
October 5
In his talk on October 5, Professor Aaron Bobrow-Strain, professor and Baker Ferguson Chair of Politics and Leadership at Whitman College, discussed the issue of immigration and inequality.
Drawing from his recent book, The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez: A Border Story, Bobrow-Strain talked about two border towns, Douglas Arizona and Agua Pietra that were one community divided by the new border wall. Aida Hernandez moved to Arizona at the age of 8, living as an undocumented resident until she was 20. Aida struggled with typical coming of age challenges, her status played an omnipresent role in her life, yet she was able to move forward in day to day life. Then everything changed.
After a brutal strike lead the Phelps-Dodge company to close its vital copper mine in Douglas, much of the towns economic security vanished and crime surged. Economic insecurity led to fears of immigration and of Douglas Arizona’s undocumented community. To satiate these fears politicians from both political parties levied plans that intentionally made the US Mexico border more dangerous by blocking off easy access points and granted huge funds to homeland security and ICE, weaponizing the southern border in the hopes that it would help protect jobs in the United States.
Bobrow-Strain argues that the presence of border patrol created a cyclical loop where towns became economically dependent on funds from Homeland Security, thereby perpetuating a need for a constant border crisis so the towns could receive more funding and stay afloat.
Jennifer Sherman: “Gentrification in Rural Washington”
October 12
On October 12, WSU professor of sociology Jennifer Sherman gave a talk on tourist-driven economies in Washington State, and how this contributed to a crisis of any quality based on gentrification.
Sherman detailed how small cities in the countryside of Washington experienced job loss in the mid-twentieth century because of deindustrialization. Those most hurt by deindustrialization were the industrial mining, logging, oil, and small-scale agricultural sectors, all of which fostered a decent middle-class lifestyle for the towns that relied upon them.
Sold as an alternative to these towns for the return of a middle-class lifestyle was the prospect of amenity-based tourism. Towns would incentivize resorts to set up shop in their area, attracting droves of wealthy urbanites who would theoretically share their wealth with the town by purchasing at local businesses.
Sherman argues that while these towns did see a positive impact from amenity-based tourism, the overall middle-class lifestyle enjoyed by those who had lived in the town for generations did not return, and was actively prevented by the presence of these newly-arrived urbanites. Instead of allowing for new economic opportunities in towns that rely on tourism, different economic challenges and increasing prices for their inventories have created tougher living situations for the middle class of those towns.
To mitigate some of the problems caused by gentrification, Sherman suggests strong minimum wages, universal childcare, and housing support to ensure workers keep up with a higher cost of living caused by gentrification.
Amber Wichowsky: “Social Class and Inequality”
October 19
On October 19, Marquette professor Amber Wichowsky gave a talk on how cross-social class comparisons affect demands for redistributive policies.
Wichowsky discussed differences between downward and upward comparison with with the former involving looking down on someone of a lower status than you and often emerging from economic insecurity. Upward comparison to someone of higher status than you involves a combination of admiration, envy, and mistrust
She noted that although one might expect the growing economic inequality in the United States to result in upward comparison and increased demand for economic redistribution, support for redistributive policies has not increased. She suggested that thisis because inequality has caused economic insecurity, which breeds downward comparison as opposed to upward comparison. People do not look up at those with more than them, they look down on those with less than them.
Wichowsky noted that most Americans see themselves as middle class. Americans, even those who are upper middle class still see themselves as solidly middle class because they are constantly comparing themselves to those in the upper classes. This, combined with the growth in neighborhood class segregation, has impacted how people feel about inequality because they view themselves as being well enough off without seeing, and comparing themselves to those who have more than them.
Chris Faricy: “Do the rich deserve more government money?”
November 2
In his talk on November 2, Chris Faricy, Syracuse University, discussed how tax credits designed to promote economic prosperity across the board are disproportionately benefiting the wealthy. Despite the apparent misuse of these programs, they remain quite popular.
Faricy gave several explanations why these programs are popular. One reason for their popularity is because they are seen as tax cuts instead of government spending, though they cost the government roughly a trillion dollars a year. Tax breaks in the US seem like a good idea for the working class, but in reality, the idea benefits the upper economic class. Faricy mentions how because these programs are seen in the public eye. Faricy also explained how these government programs were not meant to give those in the upper economic class tax breaks or benefits, but accountants soon found a way to do so.
Because of the different loopholes that millionaires or billionaires have chosen to take, they do take advantage of lower economic statuses. Because of how the government has set up these programs with the loopholes they have, the rich have really been the only ones benefiting from these government programs. The middle class somewhat benefits but the lower class has little to no benefits.
Kiantha Duncan: “Poverty in Communities of Color”
November 9
On November 9, the current president of the NAACP in Spokane, Kiantha Duncan, talked about her and her family’s generational experiences being black and impoverished.
Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Duncan recalled how everyone in her neighborhood was black and how poverty seemed normal because it was a shared community experience. Duncan went on to discuss the lack of support for these communities and how the denial of generational wealth fosters dire poverty.
She also shared the experiences of her grandmother, who migrated from Arkansas to Wisconsin in search of employment and educational opportunities. She highlighted how her mother inherited poverty from her grandmother, demonstrating how difficult poverty is to break out of when it is all around you. Duncan suggested that communities of color tend to not have appropriate mental health care or normal medical care and that those communities today have a lack of food security, clothing, health care and education.
Duncan concluded by noting that while these conditions are difficult and at times desperate, serious efforts made by powerholders in society can mediate the poverty that these communities experience.
November 17
Joe Soss: “Preying on the Poor: Criminal justice as a revenue racket”
On November 17th, Joe Soss, the Cowles Chair for the study of Public Service at the University of Minnesota, talked about the predatory nature of the United States’ criminal justice system.
Soss opened up his talk with the crucial 2015 Department of Justice report concerning Ferguson, Missouri’s targeting of black residents. The report found that 90% of people cited for municipal fines in the city were black and that each household in Ferguson averaged 3 warrants. The city seemingly depended on these practices, with a fifth of the entire municipality’s budget coming from fees and fines alone.
Many were shocked by the predatory practices of Ferguson’s system and the DOJ’s analysis of it. Soss further argued that the targeting of people of color through legal procedures is widespread in the United States.
He said that the regressive system of fees, fines, bail, and for-profit prisons to generate revenue for municipalities began in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, again booming in the post 9/11 2000s. In 2004, 66 percent of all prisoners reported receiving some kind of legal financial fine, and all 50 states charge some kind of pay to stay fee for incarceration. Currently 10 million people owe over $50 billion in legal generated debt alone.
Soss finished his talk on a hopeful note by pointing out that a large number of Americans are upset by this system and are actively seeking criminal justice reform. He noted that reform would not come easy due to the widespread nature of the system, but that reform is an eventuality because of the determined nature of reformist movements in the United States.
Stephen Maynard Caliendo: “Staring at the sea: What to do about inequality?”
December 9
The Foley Institute’s semester-long series on the subject of inequality concluded on December 9, when Stephen Maynard Caliendo, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of political science at North Central College, discussed strategies for dealing with inequities, and countering what can often seem an overwhelming and intractable issue.
He noted that health, immigration status, and experience with the criminal justice system can all play into different ways to approach foundations to understanding inequality. His view is that we each go through an existential contemplation when faced with the question of what to do when it comes to inequality.
Professor Caliendo suggested a few ideas for tackling the issue, that began with changing one’s own, and other people’s mindset when confronted with unequal situations. These include community education, helping others find employment, community work, blogs, and podcasts, and knowing your own privilege. Caliendo also stressed the importance of being an ally to those community that are more prone to unequal communities.