Can democracy and capitalism be reconciled? / edited by Sidney M. Milkis and Scott C. Miller.

"Abstract This volume provides a multidisciplinary examination of the intersection of capitalist economic systems and democratic societies across time and space. Featuring 24 essays from scholars across 9 fields of study, this volume interrogates the ideas, history, and policy behind these two principal elements of liberal society. This volume examines how democratic and capitalist systems have changed and are changing, and applies those lessons to our present circumstances. In addition to exploring past frictions at the intersection of democracy and capitalism, this volume shows how democratic and capitalist forces influence how institutions work, develop, and change. Organized into six sections in which 3-4 analytical chapters are contextualized by a short synthetic essay, the volume begins with an introduction that explores the vibrant historical debate over whether democracy and capitalism can and should coexist in America. The core thematic sections begin with an examination of the foundational yet fluid meaning of democracy and capitalism and considers the inherent tensions in reconciling them. The remaining sections address the underlying causes of, and solutions to, modern "pathologies" of democratic capitalism. These pathologies are 1) Environmental Degradation; 2) Governance and Consolidation of Private Power; 3) Inequality and Opportunity; 4) Polarization; and 5) Frictions at the Intersection of Popular Will and Sound Policy. By examining these pathologies from many disciplinary and temporal angles, this volume provides a rounded understanding of why these pathologies arose, how they have influenced society, and how free people can reform their political economy to bring it more in line with their values. In the end, the volume suggest that democracy and capitalism certainly can be reconciled, but whether they will be as a separate question that lies at the feet of a free people. Keywords Democracy, capitalism, environment, government, consolidation, inequality, opportunity, polarization, history, public policy"-- Provided by publisher.