Finance, Lobbying

A New York Times/CBS News poll released in June 2015 found a rare point of virtual unanimity among members of the American public: 84% of respondents agreed there is too much money in politics; and a total of 85% said that the current system of campaign finance either needs fundamental reform or should be rebuilt entirely.

The stock market is often compared to a casino — the game involves skill, of course, but chance plays a significant role. Inside knowledge can shift the odds, however, particularly when it’s held by just a few players.

From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez and Theda Skocpol, Harvard University.

As income inequality has continued to rise in the United States, scholars have been examining the deep structural issues that may help drive this trend. Some research has documented how certain public policy choices — or decisions not to address pressing problems in a changing economy — has been at the heart of this issue.