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9781641774635

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This engaging and important book draws brilliantly upon law, economics, history, and political philosophy and ultimately adds up to a profound case for the free society. Yuval Levinauthor of American Covenant Those who believe that the rich are an anti-democratic force in American government will have much to learn from John O. McGinnis’s powerfully reasoned book. Democratic politics is vulnerable to organized interests, intellectual protectionism, and the “tyranny of the status quo”—and requires continuous disruption to keep it healthy and strong. McGinnis marshals deep learning and original thinking to demonstrate that the rich are a vital source of such disruption and critical component of liberal pluralism. In America, the rich we have always had with us, and need today more than ever. Christopher DeMuth Distinguished Fellow in American Thought The Heritage Foundation My beloved grandfather used to say, “rich or poor, it’s nice to have money.” In Why Democracy Needs the Rich, John McGinnis provocatively explains why it’s good we have the rich. Billionaires like Elon Musk are needed, says McGinnins, to counter the outsized influence of our ideological intelligentia composed of politicians, journalists, pundits, academics, entertainers, and “special interest” groups. If he’s right, as I believe he is, then the general welfare of We the People depends upon our appreciating why “rich or poor, we all need the rich.” Randy E. Barnett Patrick Hotung Professor of Constitutional Law Georgetown University Law Center 

""This engaging and important book draws brilliantly upon law, economics, history, and political philosophy and ultimately adds up to a profound case for the free society.""  —Yuval Levin, author of American Covenant ""Those who believe that the rich are an anti-democratic force in American government will have much to learn from John O. McGinnis’s powerfully reasoned book. Democratic politics is vulnerable to organized interests, intellectual protectionism, and the “tyranny of the status quo”—and requires continuous disruption to keep it healthy and strong. McGinnis marshals deep learning and original thinking to demonstrate that the rich are a vital source of such disruption and critical component of liberal pluralism. In America, the rich we have always had with us, and need today more than ever.""  —Christopher DeMuth, Distinguished Fellow in American Thought, The Heritage Foundation ""My beloved grandfather used to say, 'rich or poor, it’s nice to have money.' In Why Democracy Needs the Rich, John McGinnis provocatively explains why it’s good we have the rich. Billionaires like Elon Musk are needed, says McGinnins, to counter the outsized influence of our ideological intelligentia composed of politicians, journalists, pundits, academics, entertainers, and 'special interest' groups. If he’s right, as I believe he is, then the general welfare of We the People depends upon our appreciating why 'rich or poor, we all need the rich.'"" —Randy E. Barnett, Patrick Hotung Professor of Constitutional Law, Georgetown University Law Center

Author Information

John O. McGinnis is a law professor at Northwestern University and one of America's leading thinkers on democracy and constitutional law. A graduate of Harvard Law School and a former editor of the Harvard Law Review, McGinnis has served in the U.S. Department of Justice.  His previous work includes hundreds of essays and articles on the intersection of law and governance, as well as two books, Originalism and the Good Constitution and Accelerating Democracy: Transforming Governance Through Technology, published by Harvard University and Princeton University Press. With an ability to blend rigorous analysis and engaging prose, McGinnis brings a fresh, counterintuitive perspective to pressing issues of our time. In Why Democracy Needs the Rich, he makes a compelling case for the indispensable role of wealth in fostering innovation, counterbalancing power, and strengthening democratic institutions.

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