Economic Inequality: The American Dream Under Siege

Gr 8 Up—Frazer begins with a history of the American economy, from colonial times to the present. She then defines the extent of current inequalities and the consequences thereof, followed by a discussion of how and why inequality of opportunity is, more often than not, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Final chapters venture into the politics of economic policy and suggestions for citizen participation in the political process. Photos, graphs, charts, sidebars, and the back matter aid in understanding of social and economic concepts and issues. Fifteen of 17 source notes are from websites, such as the Huffington Post and opensecrets.org. The selected bibliography is comprised of 27 sources, 19 of which are websites. The earliest publication date is 2008, with the majority from 2013–17. It would be impossible to approach this topic without bias, particularly in the current polarized political climate, and the author's is subtle but left-leaning. Frazer does her best, however, to maintain balance throughout, using neutral language and carefully giving credence to both sides of the debate. She analyzes from a variety of viewpoints, including gender, race, and socioeconomic and educational levels, thus delving deeper than examining monetary status.