American Plutocracy
Publication Title
King's Law Journal
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2015
Abstract
This essay explores the linkages between economic inequality, political inequality, and money in politics. Said another way, it explores the linkages between Thomas Piketty, Gilens & Page, and campaign finance law. It argues that the U.S. Supreme Court has constructed and justified a new form of government called plutocracy. Campaign finance cases from Buckley (1976) to McCutcheon (2014) contain a series of constitutional principles that serve to increase political inequality and economic inequality. Those constitutional principles also serve as the "apparatus of justification" sought by Piketty, the justifications for inequality that might allow today's state of affairs to endure. This essay exposes those constitutional principles and their relationship to works by Piketty, Gilens, and Page. It also contains a summary of some key points from my book, Capitalism v. Democracy (Stanford University Press 2014).
Recommended Citation
Timothy K. Kuhner, American Plutocracy, 26 King's L.J. 44 (2015).
Institutional Repository Citation
Timothy K. Kuhner,
American Plutocracy,
Faculty Publications By Year
2102
(2015)
https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/faculty_pub/2102
DOI
10.2139/ssrn.2581556
Volume
26
Issue
1
First Page
44
Last Page
75