Ladder or Lottery | Economic Promises and the Reality of Who Gets Ahead

Gary A Hoover

ISBN 10: 0520402626 / ISBN 13: 9780520402621

Published by University of California Press, 2026

About this Item

Ladder or Lottery | Economic Promises and the Reality of Who Gets Ahead | Gary A Hoover | Buch | Einband - fest (Hardcover) | Englisch | 2026 | University of California Press | EAN 9780520402621 | Verantwortliche Person für die EU: Libri GmbH, Europaallee 1, 36244 Bad Hersfeld, gpsr[at]libri[dot]de | Anbieter: preigu.

Seller Inventory # 134575799

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Ladder or Lottery | Economic Promises and the Reality of Who Gets Ahead
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520402626
• ISBN 13: 9780520402621
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 220W x 146H x 21D millimeters 220 millimeters width by 146 millimeters height by 21 millimeters depth
• Weight: 346 grams
• Seller catalogs:
  • Bücher

About this title

Synopsis

Who really gets ahead in a market-based economy.
 
This book asks the reader a simple question: Is our economy a ladder or a lottery? Are people able to control their position on the economic spectrum by their actions? Some argue that, in our market-based economy, if you play by certain rules and make certain choices, you'll achieve upward mobility no matter what economic position you were born into.
 
Drawing on his vast economic expertise, Gary A. Hoover explores what this "social contract" requires of its citizens, and what it offers in return. Hoover shows how civil unrest is often directly related to broken society-level promises, exploring protest movements such as Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party, the Arab Spring, and student debt forgiveness as case studies. He also predicts where future protests can be expected if results promised are not results delivered.
 
This insightful and data-driven book tackles challenging issues around income inequality, health care, and artificial intelligence, and ultimately equips readers to answer these pressing questions: Is our social contract a ladder to higher economic standing, accessible to all no matter where they start? Or rather a lottery in which many will buy a ticket but only a few will find success? And how can we best align social promises with our lived economic realities?

About the Author

Gary A. Hoover is Executive Director of the Murphy Institute, Professor of Economics, and Affiliate Professor of Law at Tulane University.