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Among the conventional economic ideas that drive so many public decisions in and beyond the United States is that humans are self-interested actors who are only out for themselves. Within that standard economic view of the world, people are thought to be in constant competition with one another for access to wealth and other resources. This course explores how such a competitive, self-interested view of society has led to a system of laws, rules, and institutions that reliably produces massive levels of inequality and reinforces an “us versus them” mentality between members of different social groups. Grounded on that foundation, the course will demonstrate how strong labor unions and related collectively-minded institutions have the potential to reshape and democratize the economy. More specifically, the course studies the role that a strong labor movement can play in advancing a “High Road” economy characterized by shared prosperity, ecological sustainability, and participatory democracy.
Key Topics
- Defining features of American society and American democracy
- “Low Road” versus “High Road” economic development
- Class structure in the American economy
- Pitfalls of conventional economic thinking
- Interactions between the economy, the state, and civil society in the United States
- The changing role of labor unions in American society
- Distribution of wealth and economic power
- Relationships between economic and political power
- Economic democracy and solidarity economics
- How strong labor unions can build a more equitable economy and just society
Approach and Features
This course will involve a combination of lectures, readings, reflections, and participatory group discussions. During the course, the instructor will draw on material from the following two textbooks, which are recommended (though not required) for all students:
- The current (3rd) edition of American Society: How It Really Works, by Erik Olin Wright and Joel Rogers (ISBN 978-1-324-03329-5).
- The open access book Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter, by Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor (ISBN 9781509544097; free, open-access version available at: https://polity-books-backend.prod.politybooks.wiley.host/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/9781509549733.pdf)