Overview

What makes a person liberal or conservative? Why does the Democratic Party scare off so many possible supporters? When does our ""injustice trigger"" get pulled, and how can fairness overcome our human need to look for a zero-sum outcome to our political battles? Tapping into a pop culture zeitgeist linking Bugs Bunny, Taylor Swift, and John Belushi; through popular science and the human brain; to our political predilections, arguments, and distrusts, Daniel Meegan suggests that fairness and equality are key elements missing in today's society. Having crossed the border to take up residency in Canada, Meegan, an American citizen, has seen first-hand how people enjoy as rights what Americans view as privileges. Fascinated with this tension, he suggests in America the Fair that American liberals are just missing the point. If progressives want to win the vote, they need to change strategy completely and champion government benefits for everyone, not just those of lower income. If everyone has access to inexpensive quality health care, open and extensive parental leave, and free postsecondary education, then everyone will be happier and society will be fair. The Left will also overcome an argument of the Right that successfully, though incongruously, appeals to the middle- and upper-middle classes: that policies that help the economically disadvantaged are inherently bad for others. Making society fair and equal, Meegan argues, would strengthen the moral and political position of the Democratic Party and place it in a position to revive American civic life. Fairness, he writes, should be selfishly enjoyed by everyone.

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9781501735479

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Reviews

There's really a lot to like about America the Fair. It explains psychological constructs and their bearing on policy debate and ideological conflict, drawing engagingly on popular culture. Meegan reveals ground common to both conservatives and liberals, proposing a value frame for the greatest number of voters: fairness. -- Chris Weber, University of Arizona

This is not your grandfather's political advice book-it's the insightful and telling advice of Dan Meegan, a Canadian political scientist, about what America could be if Democrats took to heart his sound advice on what the party must do to create a more equal and just America with greater opportunity for all -- David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of <I>It's Even Worse Than You Think</I> Once in a while, someone stakes out a new approach to America's perennial problems-in a way that could change the nature of the debate. In 2019 Dan Meegan is that person. With America the Fair he has staked out a 'fourth way' to think about the issues that have split America, and offered a provocative playbook for a 2020 presidential candidate. Better yet, he's a maestro when it comes to assembling his argument in an accessible, even funny, way by driving home his message with riffs on everything from Taylor Swift's popularity to zombie movies. -- Steven Brill, author of <I>Tailspin and America's Bitter Pill</I> What can a Canadian cognitive neuroscientist teach us about American politics? A great deal. With humor and rigor, Dan Meegan explains why our brains are fine-tuned to recoil at 'un-earned' benefits. US policies are stingy not because Americans are, but because these polices' design too often activates our innate unfairness-detector. -- Jacob Hacker, Yale University, author of <I>The Great Risk Shift</I> America the Fair makes a compelling case that equity-based programs for the middle class are the best way to help those in need. Often these programs, like the U.S. Social Security system, not only ensure a base retirement income for middle-class workers but also have a strong anti-poverty component. And those who have their own health, disability, and income risks covered are more open to provisions that help the truly poor. Every American who cares about the future of our country should read this book. -- Alicia Munnell, The Center for Retirement Research, author of <I>Falling Short</I> There's really a lot to like about America the Fair. It explains psychological constructs and their bearing on policy debate and ideological conflict, drawing engagingly on popular culture. Meegan reveals ground common to both conservatives and liberals, proposing a value frame for the greatest number of voters: fairness. -- Chris Weber, University of Arizona

Author Information

Daniel Meegan is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Guelph.

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