Politics

In the aftermath of the 2010 Citizens United decision, it’s become commonplace to note the growing dominance of a small segment of the economic elite on our political process. But what exactly are the rich and powerful doing with their newfound influence? In this edition of Smart Talk, Ed Dodson and his guest, Gordon Lafer discuss how corporate lobbies are leveraging the Reagan era de-federalization legacy to underwrite laws that weaken labor unions, lower wages and degrade essential public services one State at a time. The aggregate result is a marginalized working class and a growing income inequality that is not only bad for economic growth but also undermines our democratic institutions.