Lecture 2, Thursday, September 6
WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY IS
THE UNITED STATES?
3 Steps to answer the question
1.
What are the main dimensions in terms
of which societies vary?
2.
What are the main categories or types on
each dimension?
3.
Which of these types best describes the
United States?
Ten Dimensions on which Societies Vary
1. Technology
2. The economy
3. Economic Inequality
4. Political Institutions
5. Role of the Military
6. Gender relations
7. Social cleavages
8. Immigration
9. Culture
10. Violence
Other Dimensions?
Some points to emphasize
Technology: how do technologies vary?
1. Productivity
2. Cost
Key theme:
The US has achieved extraordinary levels of
productivity that open up huge new human
possibilities, but the use of this productivity to
enhance overall wellbeing is undermined by our
institutions.
The Economy:
Basic Definition of “Capitalism”
1) Production is for the market
2) Enterprises are privately owned and run for
profits.
3) People who do not own enterprises earn their
living by working as employees for privately
owned firms.
What kind of capitalism?
U.S. Capitalism = HYPER-CAPITALISM
 powerful corporations
 weak unions
 relatively weak public regulation of markets
 very low taxation
 very high levels of economic inequality
Economic Inequality
Key theme:
The US has the highest levels of economic
inequality of all developed economies.
Consequences:
• Around 21% of children are poor in the US
• Richest 1% of households have 190 times more
wealth than the median household
• Things have gotten much more unequal in the
past three decades
Political Institutions
The U.S. has a democratic form of
government, but it is a relatively thin
democracy
Key theme:
As a society we spend more on political
competition than any other, and yet this yields
only a thin form of democracy. Why?
The Military and Global Power
Key Theme:
The United States is a relatively militaristic
society and has generally adopted a militarily
aggressive policy internationally. The U.S.
has intervened militarily in more countries
since WWII than any other nation.
Gender
Key theme:
We are living in the midst of the most
dynamic and rapid transformation of
gender relations in human history.
Social Cleavage
Key theme:
Racial inequality and racial cleavage
remains a deep and serious reality of
American life in spite of the very real
progress in the last half century.
Culture
Culture = shared patterns of beliefs and values
Important aspects of U.S. Culture:






Pluralism and tolerance of diversity
Individualism
Community
Religiosity
Commercialism & consumerism
Other aspects?