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The NYT article, “Separate and Unequal” written by Thomas Edsall (NYT 8/3/2012) briefly summarizes the main points of the book, The Price of Inequality (Stiglitz 2012). In the book, Joseph Stiglitz discusses why our economic system is failing most Americans. He is a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and a professor of economics at Columbia University.

According to Stiglitz and the review, what makes economic inequality a social problem? What harmful conditions have been caused by economic inequality in the U.S.?
Do you agree with Stiglitz and the review that the political system (or government) has played a role in economic inequality? Can you give an example?