Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

By Anne Case, professor emerita of economics and public affairs, and Angus Deaton, professor emeritus of economics and international affairs

Published Dec. 16, 2019

Life expectancy has fallen in the United States for three years straight, and economics professors Anne Case and Angus Deaton suspect social and economic forces cause “deaths of despair” from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism. Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism (Princeton University Press) is a nuanced portrait of the American working class increasingly demoralized by the failures of capitalism and provides prescriptive next steps.