Foreword
Chapter 1 - The Inequality Delusion and Other Scapegoats for
Populism
Chapter 2 - The Fairness Instinct
Chapter 3 - Economic Unfairness and the Rise of Populism
Chapter 4 - The Twin Virtues of Equal Opportunity and Fair Unequal
Outcomes
Chapter 5 - Constraints and Solutions to Economic Fairness
Conclusion - Scripting A Path Forward
References
Eric Protzer is a Research Fellow at Harvard University's
Growth Lab.
Paul Summerville is an Adjunct Professor at the University
of Victoria's Gustavson School of Business.
"Eric Protzer at Harvard and his [Canadian] collaborator, Paul
Summerville, have crunched vast amounts of data from opinion polls
and social surveys to address the question "why populism?" and they
give us some clues about how to counter it ... they come to some
highly significant conclusions. The usual explanations from the
left (that populist politics is a response to growing inequality)
or from the right (that it is due to permissive immigration
policies) both appear to be wrong. Rather, what lies behind the
political rage which produces populist politics is a generalised
sense of "unfairness" which arises from a decline in social
mobility and frustrated opportunities. In other words, people have
little objection to a minority becoming "filthy rich," provided it
is achieved through hard work, risk taking or good luck when
opportunities are open to all and provided the wealthy are
contributing as well as being rewarded."
Vince Cable, The Independent
"The growing economic inequality we see today has failed to explain
how populism arises in some places such as the United States and
not in others. And government measures to encourage more equal
outcomes have failed to combat populism. Eric Protzer and Paul
Summerville argue persuasively in Reclaiming Populism that
electorates tolerate inequality but not what they see as economic
unfairness, especially in times of limited social mobility. This
thought-provoking book should be read by anyone wanting to
understand and deal with today's turn to populism."
Christopher Gainor - author, historian
"By focusing so well on the lack of social mobility as a major
contributor to the rise of populism, this book makes a big
contribution to the debate about how to create better, more
productive, and fairer societies"
Bob Rae
"Reclaiming Populism provides much needed insights into the reasons
for populism. By debunking popular explanations, it shows why we
need to create fairer societies and how this can be achieved."
Professor Ian Goldin, Oxford University
"This book is an important contribution to the vital debate
about why so many voters feel disenchanted and how to assuage their
concerns. As the authors show with rigorous analysis and empirical
research, it is the lack of opportunity, not an absence of
equality, that is undermining the social contract in Western
societies - and it is only by giving people the chance to realise
their potential that we can start to repair it. Wherever you sit on
the political spectrum, no matter where in the West you live, this
book has something for you."
Will Tanner, Director of Onward
"Reclaiming Populism is a must read for all those who
think we are going through some weird era, that populism is some
kind of strange unjust phenomenon and realise that there are
numerous examples of unfairness out there that require proper
policy attention in order to make capitalism work better. I have
become a big believer of Profit with Purpose in recent years, and
especially following the tragedy of Covid-19 the issues that relate
to fairness of policy and the rise of populist backlashes need to
be treated in a much more open manner. And as the authors
demonstrate, much oft perceived causes of anger are often incorrect
diagnoses, and dealing with issues in a fairer way lies at the
heart of a better society and world."
Jim O'Neill, ex Commercial Secretary to the UK Treasury, ex
Chief Economist of Goldman Sachs, Senior Advisor to Chatham
House
"This book is a timely reminder of the fundamental
importance of making thoughtful political choices with a laser
focus on fairness - "promoting equal opportunities and fair unequal
outcomes" - because it is a winning formula. Protzer and
Summerville's work comes at a critical juncture with a concerning
number of possible shocks and opportunities for cheating in the
mixed economic responses to the pandemic, the evolution of
geo-politics and dominance shifts, intergenerational inequality and
the pressure that the climate crisis places on policy makers. We
can all learn the lesson that "fairness is a critical policy
input." The book provides considerable food for thought, and
refreshingly with practical solutions. It shouldn't be surprising
to say, but sadly it still is, that embedding economic fairness is
the key for the future of any pluralist trying to reclaim
populism."
Annabel Mullin - Principal Consultant at OneFifty Consultancy,
Co-Founder - Stand for Something
"Protzer and Summerville contribute astutely to a large and varied
literature on inequality with a work of sharp and timely analysis.
Reclaiming Populism asserts that there is an ethic of fairness that
underlies, or should underlie, economic arrangements. Their insight
that a "fairness principle" is being undermined in a "rigged
system" where "forgotten people' are desperately trying to
communicate their pain through the populist channel, is deliciously
incisive. Protzer and Summerville offer a set of policy
prescriptions that are carefully calibrated to the subtle sense of
unfairness that has governed the emergence of so many populist
movements in recent years. This book is a home run."
Allan Dwyer, Associate Professor of Finance, Mount Royal
University (Calgary)
"Why have electorates around the world become more susceptible to
populist political ideas? Is it income and wealth inequality? Is it
immigration? Is it globalisation? Is it social media? According to
Protzer & Summerville, it's none of these. This deep, data rich
analysis of the root cause of rising populism ekes out a more
subtle but profound answer to the dilemma of our age. To paraphrase
Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign strategist James Carville, "It's
fairness, stupid." With a profound understanding of our natural
Fairness Instinct as its foundation, this important book brings the
current system's flaws into sharp relief. Any politician wishing to
find the centre of political gravity should read it."
Andrew McNally, CEO of Equitile Investments and Author of
Debtonator - How Debt Favours the Few
"A expert and even-tempered dissection of the myths of populism. It
exposes the fundamental tensions that underlie the twin ideals of
freedom and equality. By highlighting the crucial difference
between equal opportunity and equal outcomes, the authors show how
economic fairness is the best resolving chord."
John Brodie Donald, Author of Catataxis: When more of the
same is different
"Controversial and self-consciously provocative to be sure, this is
a timely, thoughtful, original and even brave book that should be
read by all those troubled by the rise of populism and the
worrisome state of contemporary democracy."
Chris Watson, Former National Director, New Democratic Party of
Canada
"This clearly written and well researched book offers a fresh
perspective on our current political malaise. It argues that an
old-fashioned virtue - fairness - offers the way forward.
Increasing equality of opportunity and social mobility is the road
back to prosperity, pluralism and democratic resilience."
Rod Tiffen, University of Sydney
"A deeply researched and trenchant examination of the economic
forces that have led to populist movements in North America and
Europe. Critically, the authors lay out how crucial it is for
policymakers to create economic policies that are widely perceived
by citizens as fair, stressing the vital importance of equality of
opportunity for all."
Bill Powell, Chief Washington Correspondent, Newsweek
Magazine
"You think income inequality causes populism? Think again!
Reclaiming Populism convincingly argues that the issue is not how
unequal income is, it is the lack of social mobility. Unlike so
many books on populism, the authors propose a policy agenda to
guide action so that accidents of birth do not determine a person's
chances in life."
Ricardo Hausmann, Harvard
University
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