Philosophy

John Adams and the Fear of American Oligarchy

Why American founding father John Adams feared the political power of the rich鈥攁nd how his ideas illuminate today's debates about inequality and its consequences

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Published:
Dec 4, 2018
2019
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Long before the 鈥渙ne percent鈥 became a protest slogan, American founding father John Adams feared the power of a class he called simply 鈥渢he few鈥濃攖he wellborn, the beautiful, and especially the rich. In John Adams and the Fear of American Oligarchy, Luke Mayville explores Adams鈥檚 deep concern with the way in which inequality threatens to corrode democracy and empower a small elite. Adams believed that wealth is politically powerful not merely because money buys influence, but also because citizens admire and even identify with the rich. Mayville explores Adams鈥檚 theory of wealth and power in the context of his broader concern about social and economic disparities鈥攔eflections that promise to illuminate contemporary debates about inequality and its political consequences. He also examines Adams鈥檚 ideas about how oligarchy might be countered. A compelling work of intellectual history, John Adams and the Fear of American Oligarchy has important lessons for today鈥檚 world.