Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, "We can have a democratic society or we can have great concentrated wealth in the hands of the few. We cannot have both." What might Brandeis think as he viewed the current economy? Behind the hoopla of the economic boom, many Americans have actually lost ground. Most households have lower net worth than they did in 1983. To make ends meet, workers put in longer hours and have two jobs. Families sink deeper into debt while the top 1% accrue enormous wealth. Collins and Sklar are co-authors of Shifting Fortunes.

Chuck Collins
Chuck Collins is co-director of United for a Fair Economy, a Boston-based national organization which addresses issue of economic inequality.