Many politicians say that " if you work hard and play by the rules," then even low-income citizens can move up the economic ladder. But what if the rules are designed to only benefit the wealthiest Americans?

Economist Ryan Mattson and coauthor Ben Johnson argue that more than four decades of policy changes have cemented economic rules that condemn all people, except those in top income brackets, to repetitive cycles of downward mobility. And, unless Americans employ civilized efforts to change course, our economic inequality could lead to more societal divisions.

Inequality by Design is a call to all voters, associations, unions, business leaders, civic organizations, churches, policymakers, and politicians to work together to change the rules and create a better future for all Americans.