Swimming Against the Current: The New Struggles of the Middle Class
Swimming Against the Current: The New Struggles of the Middle Class
Sunday September 27, 2015
Tillie McInnis
- Meet & Greet: 1:45 pm
- Presentation: 2:00 pm
- Meeting Closes: 3:30 pm
Salt Lake Main Library, 210 East 400 South
Fourth Floor Meeting Room
Tillie McInnis holds an Honors Degree in Political Science with a minor in Economics from the University of Utah. Tillie dedicated her undergraduate education to understanding the complexity of the interaction between economics and social conditions. She participated in the year-long Honors Think Tank, "Middle Class on the Ropes", spent 3 months at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington D.C., and assisted with research at the London School of Economics. Tillie's honors thesis focused on how non-elites can influence the policymaking process after economic downturns. She currently works for a consulting firm focused on local elections and messaging for local organizations and non-profits.
"This presentation focuses on the growing inequality of income and wealth, both nationally and in Utah. I will provide an overview of the major themes of economic inequality, and what that means for those in the middle class, specifically as it relates to mobility, political voice, and financial security. We will also explore ways in which we can combat these trends. How can we redefine our capitalistic democracy? Can capitalism and equality thrive simultaneously in our current democracy? We must change our thinking in order to meet current economic realities."
References and Resources
Film
Inequality For All (Robert Reich film available on Netflix)
Literature
The Price of Inequality – Joseph Stiglitz
Winner-Take-All Politics – Jacob S. Hacker & Paul Pierson
Unequal Democracy – Larry Bartels
People's History of the United States – Howard Zinn
Free Lunch – David Cay Johnston
Questioning Minds is a non-profit, educational forum with 501(c)(3) status. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, September through May, except major holiday weekends, in the Salt Lake City Main Library. See www.questioningmindsforum.wordpress.com for coming events and speaker-suggested readings.