Jeffrey Winters: How to Beat Oligarchs at Their Own Game

Why do so many Americans think tax breaks for the uber-wealthy will help the average person? According to Jeffrey Winters, the answer is simple: oligarchy. Today Winters breaks down how massive wealth distorts politics, and what can be done to combat it. Winters is professor of political science and director of the Equality Development and Globalization Studies (EDGS) program at Northwestern University. His research focuses on oligarchy in the US and around the world, historically and today. His forthcoming book, Domination through Democracy: Why Oligarchs Win, will be published by Penguin Random House later this year. Winters is also an expert on the politics of Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia. He is an award-winning teacher, and his book Oligarchy (Cambridge, 2011) won the Luebbert Prize in 2012 for the best book in comparative politics from the American Political Science Association.