“The
Politics of Inequality in the United States,” a State of Democracy Lecture at
the Maxwell School

Martin
Gilens, professor of politics at Princeton University, will discuss inequality
and political power and its consequences for American democracy during a talk in
the Maxwell School Auditorium on Friday, March 20, at 4 p.m. Gilens’ State of Democracy Lecture will be
followed by a panel discussion with Christopher Faricy and Spencer Piston, both
assistant professors of political science, and Amy Ellen Schwartz, Moynihan
Professor of Public Affairs.
Gilens’ talk
will address his research on representation, public opinion, and mass media,
especially in relation to inequality and public policy. “The ability of citizens to influence
government policy is at the heart of democracy. But citizens are quite unequal
in their ability to shape government policy to their liking,” Gilens says. “This vast discrepancy in government
responsiveness to citizens with different incomes stands in stark contrast to the
ideal of political equality that Americans hold dear. Although perfect
political equality is an unrealistic goal, representational biases of this
magnitude call into question the very democratic character of our society.”
Gilens’ has
written extensively on these topics, including Affluence & Influence: Economic Inequality and Political Power in
America (2012, Princeton University Press) and Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media and the Politics of Antipoverty
Policy (1999, University of Chicago Press). He has also written on political inequality,
mass media, race, gender, and welfare politics in a number of major
journals. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology
from the University of California Berkeley, and he taught at Yale University
and UCLA before joining the faculty at Princeton.
The State of
Democracy Lectures Series is organized and hosted by the Campbell Public
Affairs Institute at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. It is dedicated to providing a forum for
meaningful dialogue over public issues that cut across the disciplinary
boundaries of the social sciences and enables the intellectual exploration of
current events and issues while fostering discussion and debate, which is the
heart of meaningful democratic citizenship.
The lecture
is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception. Parking is available in the Irving Avenue
Garage for $5.00. 03/17/15