The very rich have gotten a lot richer these past few decades while most Americans haven’t—but why do the “have-it- alls” have so much more? Political scientist Paul Pierson, co-author of Winner-Take-All Politics (along with noted Yale economist Jacob Hacker), largely acquits the usual suspects, shifting the blame squarely to American politics: Runaway inequality and economic crisis reflect what the government has done to aid the rich—and what it has not done to safeguard the interests of the middle class. Presented by The Town Hall Center for Civic Life, with Elliott Bay Book Company. Series media sponsorship provided by PubliCola. Series supported by The Boeing Company Charitable Trust and the RealNetworks Foundation.