Wealth and Poverty in America A Reader [Paperback]

What does it mean to be poor in America at the dawn of the 21st century? For that matter, what does it mean to be rich? And how are the two related to each other? These apparently simple questions present enormous theoretical and empirical challenges to any student or social scientist. Wealth and Poverty in America is a collection of over 20 important essays on the complex relationship between the rich and poor in the United States. The authors include classical and contemporary thinkers on a wide variety of topics such as economic systems, the lifestyles of the rich and poor, and public policy. An editorial introduction and suggestions for further reading make this a useful and valuable source of information and analysis on the realities of the American rich and American poor.

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• Collects 23 of the most important essays by classic and contemporary thinkers on wealth and poverty in America.
  
• Covers economic systems, lifestyles of the rich and poor, and public policy.
  
• Includes editorial introduction and a further reading list.

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction: Wealth and Poverty in the Affluent Society 1

Part I: On the Origins and Causes of Wealth and Poverty: Systemic Explanations 11

1. Of the Division of Labor 13
Adam Smith

2. Absolute and Relative Surplus Value 21
Karl Marx

3. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism 29
Max Weber

4. Some Principles of Stratification 43
Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore

5. Winner-Take-All Markets 53
Robert H. Frank and Philip J. Cook

Part II: Who's Rich, Who's Poor: How Resources Affect LiflC"