Inequality in America

Starred review from May 12, 2014
In this timely contribution to the constant call for meaningful conversation about race, North Central College political scientist Caliendo addresses how “disparities in income and wealth, housing, education, crime, employment opportunities, and health” arise, perpetuate one another, and how we can alleviate them. Substantive questions are offered in each chapter, and two supplementary elements (which seem textbooklike), buttress and enliven the book. “What Can I Do?” offers concrete suggestions relevant to the particular issues, from obtaining graduate degrees in public policy and urban planning to serving in food banks and soup kitchens. Twenty “feature boxes” focus on the ideas of a “particular individual or organization working toward economic and/or racial justice on behalf of the American people”—a diverse group, among them James Madison, Michelle Obama, Booker T. Washington, Earl Warren, , Ward Connerly, ACORN, and Teach for America. While Caliendo’s primary focus is upon the contemporary union of race and poverty, he looks at the historical roots of inequality and attends to rural poverty, as well as immigration and gender issues. The imperative message in this uncommonly balanced and fully accessible book is “that there are multiple ways to address inequality, and none should be dismissed just because it does not coincide with our personal political beliefs.”

July 1, 2014
Despite our nation's founding on the ideals of equality, the wealth gap in the U.S. is widening at an alarming rate. Political science scholar Caliendo takes a historical and contemporary look at race and economic inequality in the U.S., drawing on research in a wide range of areas, including economics, education, sociology, psychology, criminal justice, and medicine. He explores the assumptions that are widely held about poverty in the U.S.that it is primarily due to character flaws, that government assistance mostly goes to minorities, and that poverty is urban-centered. Caliendo focuses on the politics behind poverty, the notions that separate liberals and conservatives on issues of privilege, meritocracy, individualism, and economic redistribution. He specifically explores how the nation's political power dynamics of the past 400 years have perpetuated inequality. Caliendo also provides brief profiles of individuals representing issues of inequality, from flat-tax advocate Steve Forbes to journalist Jonathan Kozol to a rural antipoverty activist. This is a well-researched and insightful perspective on economic inequality and its conflict with American ideals.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)