Wealth and Poverty
Dear friends,
Welcome to my final UC Berkeley course on Wealth and Poverty. Drawing on my 40+ years in politics, including my time as secretary of labor, I offer a deeper look at why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly since the late 1970s in the United States, and why this poses dangerous risks to our society.
This course also offers insights into the political and public-policy debates that have arisen in light of this inequality, as well as possible means of reversing it. I taught this course for 13 years before my retirement from teaching. Now I am so pleased to be sharing it with you here.
Warmly,
Robert Reich
P.S. If you came here after watching the documentary my colleagues made about this course, The Last Class, welcome! I am heartened to see that the film inspired you to take the class you saw on the big screen.
-
-
-
The Investor's View
Hello again, friends. Thank you for joining me for the second week of my Wealth and Poverty class. In today’s class, we begin to explore why such inequalities have soared since the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Hello again, friends. Thank you for joining me for the second week of my Wealth and Poverty class. In today’s class, we begin to explore why such inequalities have soared since the late 1970s and early 1980s.
-
-
-
Globalization, Tech & Future Work
Today we will get into questions that continue to be vigorously debated — the effects of globalization and technological change on widening inequality.
Today we will get into questions that continue to be vigorously debated — the effects of globalization and technological change on widening inequality.
-
-
-
-
Monopoly, Labor, and Antitrust
Our fifth class begins our focus on power — and on the relative power of workers and the corporations that hire or contract with them. It’s one of the oldest struggles inside the American economy and within capitalism worldwide: between labor and capital. And it has a direct effect on inequality.
Our fifth class begins our focus on power — and on the relative power of workers and the corporations that hire or contract with them. It’s one of the oldest struggles inside the American economy and within capitalism worldwide: between labor and capital. And it has a direct effect on inequality.
-
-
-
Political Power and Wealth
This week brings us to one of the core problems of widening inequality — the inevitability that concentrated income and wealth at the top comes with political power.
This week brings us to one of the core problems of widening inequality — the inevitability that concentrated income and wealth at the top comes with political power.
-
-
-
Taxing and Redistributing
My goal today is to get students to reexamine their assumptions, both about how the system of taxing and redistributing actually works (or doesn’t) and about the practical consequences.
My goal today is to get students to reexamine their assumptions, both about how the system of taxing and redistributing actually works (or doesn’t) and about the practical consequences.
-
-
-
-
Remedying Racial Inequity
Today I’m delighted to have as our lecturer David C. Wilson, Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy. Dean Wilson’s research on racial resentment and justice provides a revealing and path-breaking perspective for understanding racism and prejudice.
Today I’m delighted to have as our lecturer David C. Wilson, Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy. Dean Wilson’s research on racial resentment and justice provides a revealing and path-breaking perspective for understanding racism and prejudice.
-
-
-
Public Assistance for the Poor
This week we’re looking at a suite of remedies for widening inequality that have all had some effect, but not nearly as much as they were intended to have. So the underlying question I’ll be addressing is why haven’t they been more effective, and what can we learn from them?
This week we’re looking at a suite of remedies for widening inequality that have all had some effect, but not nearly as much as they were intended to have. So the underlying question I’ll be addressing is why haven’t they been more effective, and what can we learn from them?
-
-
-
Reducing Health Inequities
This week we examine inequities in health. Among the questions I’ll be addressing are: Why and how are inequalities of income, wealth, power, and race related to health?
This week we examine inequities in health. Among the questions I’ll be addressing are: Why and how are inequalities of income, wealth, power, and race related to health?
-
-
-
Reducing Environmental Inequities
This week’s focus is in many ways an extension of last week’s focus on health and inequality, but this time we’ll examine the effects of climate change on inequality. In my view, it’s an issue that hasn’t gained nearly the attention it should.
This week’s focus is in many ways an extension of last week’s focus on health and inequality, but this time we’ll examine the effects of climate change on inequality. In my view, it’s an issue that hasn’t gained nearly the attention it should.
-
-
-
Reducing Inequities in Education
This week’s focus is one that has received a great deal of attention in recent years — and not all of it terribly well-informed or constructive. It’s inequalities in education. Most of us believe we know a great deal about education because we’ve been through it. My goal this week is to get you to rethink your assumptions, and go deeper.
This week’s focus is one that has received a great deal of attention in recent years — and not all of it terribly well-informed or constructive. It’s inequalities in education. Most of us believe we know a great deal about education because we’ve been through it. My goal this week is to get you to rethink your assumptions, and go deeper.
-
-
-
The Future of Inequality (and You?)
This is the last class of my Wealth & Poverty course and my final time teaching it at UC Berkeley. Even if you haven’t had a chance to keep up with all the others, please make sure to join this one.
This is the last class of my Wealth & Poverty course and my final time teaching it at UC Berkeley. Even if you haven’t had a chance to keep up with all the others, please make sure to join this one.
-