First Class Passengers on a Sinking Ship: Elite Politics and the Decline of Great Powers

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By Richard Lachmann ’77

Published Dec. 13, 2019

In First Class Passengers on a Sinking Ship (Bloomsbury), sociology professor Richard Lachmann asserts that the U.S. is headed for an inevitable geopolitical decline in a similar manner to former powers such as the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Spain. While not inevitable, Lachmann argues, the consolidation of economic resources in the elite will lead to the decline of the entire country unless reversed.

Paw in print

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The cover of PAW’s February 2025 issue, featuring a photo of Frank Stella leaning back with his hands behind his head.