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How the U.S. has arrived at its most blatant era of oligarchy

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River to River, hosted by Ben Kieffer

After two centuries of expanding democracy, why has America become more unequal — not less?

On this episode we listen to highlights from a recent conversation with political scientist Jeffrey Winters of Northwestern University. His new book, The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy, examines the failure of democracy to address wealth inequality, why it's by design. This conversation was recorded on May 7 at the Englert Theatre, presented by the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.

Guest:

  • Jeffrey Winters, author, professor of political science, Northwestern University
Ben Kieffer is the host of "River to River." Since 2007, Kieffer has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Kieffer has a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.
Samantha McIntosh is an award-winning talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University. Since 2022, McIntosh has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.
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