Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Inequality? is part of a new book series offering short, up-to-date overviews of key issues often misrepresented or simplified in the mainstream media.
Written by a leading expert with an accessible writing style, this book on inequality is a conversation starter and a way to spark informed, educated debate. It does this by providing illuminating, data-rich descriptions (what do we know?) and bold, prescriptive proposals (what should we do?). Topics which once seemed opaque are made clear, including -
- How can we measure inequality?
- What we know about inequality in income, wealth and earnings?
- How does the UK compare to other nations?
- What about geographical inequalities?
- What about differences between ages, or generations?
- What should we do to tackle inequality?
intended for anyone seeking a quick and authoritative understanding of inequality in the modern era.
Synopsis
What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Inequality? is part of a new book series offering short, up-to-date overviews of key issues often misrepresented or simplified in the mainstream media.
In this book, Professor Mike Brewer discusses "What We Know" about economic inequalities in the UK, presenting new analysis of the top 1% and 0.1% in the UK, and summarising the causes and consequences of high levels of inequality.
Brewer answers the following questions:
- Why is curbing inequality now regarded as a global challenge?
- Why did the UK become more unequal during the 1980s?
- What has happened to incomes since the financial crash in 2008 and the government austerity that followed?
- How relevant is Thomas Piketty's prediction that growing wealth inequalities will return us to levels of inequality last seen at the dawn of the twentieth century?
The author concludes by suggesting "What We Should Do" to move the UK off its high-inequality path, including further taxation, wealth redistribution and welfare reform.
Intended for anyone seeking a quick and authoritative understanding of inequality in the modern era.
Series Editor: Professor Chris Grey, Royal Holloway, University of London
Synopsis
"A brilliantly clear and concise guide. Highly recommended." - Ben Chu, Economics Editor - BBC Newsnight
What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Inequality? is part of a new book series offering short, up-to-date overviews of key issues often misrepresented or simplified in the mainstream media. In this book, Professor Mike Brewer discusses "What We Know" about economic inequalities in the UK, presenting new analysis of the top 1% and 0.1% in the UK, and summarising the causes and consequences of high levels of inequality.
Brewer answers the following questions:
- Why is curbing inequality now regarded as a global challenge?
- Why did the UK become more unequal during the 1980s?
- What has happened to incomes since the financial crash in 2008 and the government austerity that followed?
- How relevant is Thomas Piketty's prediction that growing wealth inequalities will return us to levels of inequality last seen at the dawn of the twentieth century?
The author concludes by suggesting "What We Should Do" to move the UK off its high-inequality path, including further taxation, wealth redistribution and welfare reform.
Intended for anyone seeking a quick and authoritative understanding of inequality in the modern era.
Series Editor: Professor Chris Grey, Royal Holloway, University of London
Synopsis
"A brilliantly clear and concise guide. Highly recommended." - Ben Chu, BBC Newsnight
Economic inequality is at historically high levels with income inequality in developed countries at its highest for over 50 years. In the UK, the rise in income inequality over the last 30 years is one of the largest across developed nations, leading to the UK being close to the top of the international league for inequality and second highest among G7 countries.
Economist Mike Brewer discusses the causes and consequences of these high levels of economic inequality in the UK, outlining why the UK became so unequal in the 1980s and how this has developed further since the 2008 financial crash and the austerity that followed. Brewer then presents new analysis of the top 1% and 0.1%, before assessing the relevance of Thomas Piketty's landmark work and predictions around wealth inequalities. The author then outlines six key areas that need addressing to move the UK off its high-inequality path and towards a fairer society, including wealth redistribution, social mobility, and excessive pay at the top.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The 'What Do We Know and What Should We Do About...?' series offers readers short, up-to-date overviews of key issues often misrepresented, simplified or misunderstood in modern society and the media. Each book is written by a leading social scientist with an established reputation in the relevant subject area. The Series Editor is Professor Chris Grey, Royal Holloway, University of London
Synopsis
"A brilliantly clear and concise guide. Highly recommended." - Ben Chu
Economic inequality in the UK is currently at historically high levels and the rise in income inequality over the last 30 years is one of the largest across developed nations. But what caused this sustained increase in inequality and what does it mean for modern society in the UK?
In this book, Economist Mike Brewer discusses the causes and consequences of these high levels of economic inequality, outlining why the UK became so unequal in the 1980s and how this has developed further since the 2008 financial crash and the austerity that followed. Brewer then presents new analysis of the top 1% and 0.1%, before assessing the relevance of Thomas Piketty's landmark work and predictions around wealth inequalities. The author then outlines six key areas that need addressing to move the UK off its high-inequality path and towards a fairer society, including wealth redistribution, social mobility, and excessive pay at the top.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The 'What Do We Know and What Should We Do About...?' series offers readers short, up-to-date overviews of key issues often misrepresented, simplified or misunderstood in modern society and the media. Each book is written by a leading social scientist with an established reputation in the relevant subject area. The Series Editor is Professor Chris Grey, Royal Holloway, University of London