Is it possible to have a democracy and have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few? A century ago, Justice Brandies argued that it is not possible to have both at the same time. Since the 1970s, by all metrics economic inequality has been growing in the United States which has compelled many economists to refer to the current era as the \"New Gilded Age.\" Hence Justice Brandeis's grim assertion is still very relevant today. In this thesis I provide an overview of how economic inequality gets translated into political inequality in the United States. The first half of the thesis provides a theoretical and historical framework to better understand the contemporary challenge of political inequality, while the second half focuses on the specific mechanisms through which economic resources are translated into political power in the contemporary United States. The conclusion I arrive at the end, is that political inequality requires a combination of solutions that both limit the spillover of inequalities from the economic sphere to the political sphere as well as mechanisms that damper vast economic disparities.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 24031