Labor and the Class Idea in the United States and Canada (Cambridge Studies In Contentious Politics )

Synopsis

Why are unions weaker in the US than in Canada, two otherwise similar countries?

This difference has shaped politics, policy, and levels of inequality. Conventional wisdom points to differences in political cultures, party systems, and labor laws. But Barry Eidlin's systematic analysis of archival and statistical data shows the limits of conventional wisdom, and presents a novel explanation for the cross-border difference.

He shows that it resulted from different ruling party responses to worker upsurge during the Great Depression and World War II. Paradoxically, US labor's long-term decline resulted from what was initially a more pro-labor ruling party response, while Canadian labor's relative long-term strength resulted from a more hostile ruling party response. These struggles embedded 'the class idea' more deeply in policies, institutions, and practices than in the US. In an age of growing economic inequality and broken systems of political representation, Eidlin's analysis offers insight for those seeking to understand these trends, as well as those seeking to change them.

Provides a novel theory of American exceptionalism.

Presents the most comprehensive and systematic assessment ever of explanations for US union decline.

Written in an accessible style, with carefully explained graphs using only descriptive statistics.

Copyright:

2018

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781108613132

Related ISBNs:

9781107106703, 9781107106703

Publisher:

Cambridge University Press

Date of Addition:

06/16/18

Copyrighted By:

Cambridge University Press

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Nonfiction, Business and Finance, Social Studies, Politics and Government

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.