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Daniel Markovits
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The Meritocracy Trap: How America's Foundational Myth Feeds Inequality, Dismantles the Middle Class, and Devours the Elite Kindle Edition

by Daniel Markovits (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 569 ratings
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A revolutionary new argument from eminent Yale Law professor Daniel Markovits attacking the false promise of meritocracy 

It is an axiom of American life that advantage should be earned through ability and effort. Even as the country divides itself at every turn, the meritocratic ideal – that social and economic rewards should follow achievement rather than breeding – reigns supreme.  Both Democrats and Republicans insistently repeat meritocratic notions. Meritocracy cuts to the heart of who we are. It sustains the American dream.
 
But what if, both up and down the social ladder, meritocracy is a sham? Today, meritocracy has become exactly what it was conceived to resist: a mechanism for the concentration and dynastic transmission of wealth and privilege across generations. Upward mobility has become a fantasy, and the embattled middle classes are now more likely to sink into the working poor than to rise into the professional elite. At the same time, meritocracy now ensnares even those who manage to claw their way to the top, requiring rich adults to work with crushing intensity, exploiting their expensive educations in order to extract a return. All this is not the result of deviations or retreats from meritocracy but rather stems directly from meritocracy’s successes.
 
This is the radical argument that Daniel Markovits prosecutes with rare force. Markovits is well placed to expose the sham of meritocracy. Having spent his life at elite universities, he knows from the inside the corrosive system we are trapped within. Markovits also knows that, if we understand that meritocratic inequality produces near-universal harm, we can cure it. When The Meritocracy Trap reveals the inner workings of the meritocratic machine, it also illuminates the first steps outward, towards a new world that might once again afford dignity and prosperity to the American people.
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  1. Print length
    442 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    September 10, 2019
  5. File size
    6.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
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  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ambitious and disturbing. . . Markovits forcefully interrupts the comfortable bath of self-flattery in which our well-graduated professionals pass their hours.” – New York Times Book Review

“An imaginative new book that will prompt endless debate in the faculty lounge, the country-club tap room, and the family dinner table. . . a book that will jolt and provoke the reading public . . . Markovits produces shocking figures about the yawning wealth gap on leafy campuses.” — The Boston Globe

"The Meritocracy Trap defines a central issue of our age: the rise of new elites who, unlike their aristocratic forebears, seem to have the moral high ground. The system is rigged in a different way, but it’s still rigged all right." –Sunday Times

“We’ve been waiting for the Big Book that explains America's wrong turn. Daniel Markovits has supplied it. The Meritocracy Trap is a sociological masterpiece – a damning indictment of parenting and schools,  an unflattering portrait of a ruling class and the economy it invented. Far too many readers will recognize themselves in his brilliant critique, and they will feel a rush of anger, a pang of regret, and a burning desire to remake the system.” —Franklin Foer, author of World Without Mind
 
“Provocatively weighing in on growing inequality, Daniel Markovits weaves a disturbing tale of merit and social division. Pulling no punches, he warns us that meritocracy is a  trap, fetishizing certain skills and endless assessments. Markovitz shows – in exquisite detail – the perverse link between an upper class education and elite jobs and how together they enrich the few, while devaluing and demoralizing the rest.” —Jerry Brown, former governor of California
 
“At once wide-ranging and rigorous, subtle and penetrating, Markovits’s book is revelatory both in its particulars and in its big picture. Anyone who wants to argue about the merits of meritocracy must take account of this book.” —Kwame Anthony Appiah, Professor of Philosophy and Law, NYU and author of The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity
 
“Daniel Markovits has written a bold, brave critique of the meritocracy-backed version of inequality that prevails today. He argues persuasively that meritocracy is destructive and demoralizing for winners and losers alike. Challenging conventional wisdom, Markovits shows that technological change is not a fact of nature that happens to increase the value of highly credentialed workers; instead, the prevalence of credentialed elites calls forth technologies that bias the labor market in their favor and hollow out the middle class. This is a splendid book that should prompt soul-searching among meritocrats.” —Michael J. Sandel, author of What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets

“The system is rigged. And the culprit, Daniel Markovits argues, is meritocracy—the same ideal that was supposed to promote fairness. Brilliant, lucid, and urgent, The Meritocracy Trap exposes a national catastrophe.” —James Forman Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Locking Up Our Own

About the Author

Daniel Markovits is Guido Calabresi Professor of Law at Yale Law School and founding director of the Center for the Study of Private Law.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07MGDKDQN
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books (September 10, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 10, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 442 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0141984740
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 569 ratings

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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • David H. Propper, CPA
    5.0 out of 5 stars Explains a lot of things about the economy that no one else I've heard or read can.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2022
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    I'm in the middle of this book, so it's a premature to review it. Nevertheless, I must say that it's resonating with my own experiences and observations over my entire adult life, and even back to my childhood - and I'm 70. The last 100 pages of this book are footnotes, and even they are interesting. I'm half-way through this book and already all of the rantings and reasonings of news commentators that I'm constantly subjected to - democrat and republican alike - fall short of the undeniable logic of this book.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • J. Bronson
    5.0 out of 5 stars The New Thorstein Veblen
    Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2021
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    He makes some valid points. Mid- 20th century middle-class life in America was quite different compared to today. When the middle-class controlled most of the mercantile life in towns across America, life definitely was different compared to big corporate control. The town I grew up in did not allow a fast-food chain like McDonald's in until the 21st century. He is definitely correct that Veblen's old idea of the leisure class has turned into the mega-busy hard-working class that flaunts its pedigrees and diligence by always reminding people that, "Yes, We've earned it." He is not correct in stating that an Ivy League pedigree always leads to greater things. My brother graduated from Dartmouth in 1998. His pedigree did not give him any favors in the Twin Cities labor market, even during a good economy. What you decide to major in at these places might also make a difference.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Specialist
    4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing thesis. Poor understanding of healthcare.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2019
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    The author describes well the problems with our current meritocracy. The deployment of elite skill in finance, law, and management has worsened inequality and has created unfulfilling work environments for all. It has also failed to live up to its promise of increasing economic growth. In fact, there is good evidence that increasing utilization of elite skill in finance has hampered economic growth and created an epidemic of personal indebtedness. I would add that it misallocates talent into inherently non-productive sectors. Does anyone think we are better off having the best and brightest from Princeton working at Goldman or Bain?

    Where the author loses me, a bit, is when decides to group specialist physicians with the elites in finance, law, and management. It is hard to make the case that the utilization of elite skill has been a negative in medicine. The outcomes in almost every area where elite skills have been deployed in healthcare show otherwise. Note the vastly improved outcomes in orthopedics, ophthalmology, and cardiology over the last forty years. These are the areas where elite skills and technology have most taken hold. Yes, the specialists in these fields "exploit" their hard-earned personal capital, but this is to the great benefit of society and personal fulfillment of most practitioners. (Full disclosure- I am a specialist physician who trained at elite institutions).

    The author points out correctly that healthcare costs in the US are out of line with the rest of the world. He also notes there is inequality within medicine, but does not quantify it. I can help there. A specialist physician earns about 20 times the lowest paid healthcare worker and approximately five times the average NP and PA. This inequality is not new and is nothing like that seen in elite finance, law, or management.

    The author’s “cure” for excessive US healthcare costs and inequality within medicine is to replace physician specialists with NPs and PAs. This will do very little to control global healthcare costs and will increase inequality between specialist physicians and other providers. The only area where NPs and PAs can decrease costs is by having them replace primary care physicians. And because primary care physician services are just a fraction of total healthcare costs replacing them with these mid-level providers will have very little impact on total healthcare spending. NPs and PAs are cheaper than primary care physicians. But, on a per hour basis this savings is only about 20%. Replacing every single primary care physician with an NP or PA would yield a onetime cost savings of about 2% of global healthcare spending. And remember PAs and NPs are categorized as employees so they can unionize, are paid by the hour, and get time and a half for overtime, and large pay differentials for weekend and nights. I would predict in short order an all NP and PA primary care workforce would likely increase total healthcare spending.

    The reason why NPs and PAs are already being extensively utilized is they allow specialist to concentrate on areas where their elite skills are more fully utilized and highly reimbursed. Examples of this are dermatologists utilizing NPs for routine skin care so they can concentrate or Moh's surgery or cosmetic procedures. Or having a PA free up an orthopedic surgeon from office visits and hospital rounding so they can concentrate on operative procedures. Thus, the utilization of NPs and PAs tends to increase the income of specialist physicians- further exacerbating the income inequality in medicine the author decries.

    Overall I really enjoyed the book. But, I would recommend the author consult experts in healthcare before creating the false equivalence between specialist physicians and other elites.
    134 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Clear Explanations of American Economic Changes Since 1970
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2020
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    The rise of leveraged buyouts, maximization of shareholder value, changes in processing mortgage contracts, the hallowing out of the middle class, and the rise of extreme income inequality in America are clearly explained in this book. The Meritocracy controls law, finance, and corporate governance and current rules perpetuate that dominance. An important contrast with Germany is presented. They are much more successful than the U.S. at valuing and employing middle class workers. Interesting suggestions for changing the payroll tax to make middle class workers more competitive are presented.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • philip
    5.0 out of 5 stars Every politician should read this
    Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2019
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    One of the most original thinkers of the last 20 years. Whether you’re a liberal or conservative, the issue this book examines is of critical importance to your and your family’s future. You may not agree with the prescription but the diagnosis is impossible too argue with.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Salvador Junior
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 24, 2022
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    Good
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  • Marilyn Reid
    5.0 out of 5 stars A completely different way of looking at the the Upper Class
    Reviewed in Canada on December 11, 2020
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    Did you know that the rich are now working harder than the rest of us? Did you know that the middle class has less and less opportunity to climb the corporate ladder, no matter how much effort we put in? To find out why read this book.
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  • Janik M. Dietz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Holt euch nicht das Taschenbuch // don’t get the paperback version
    Reviewed in Germany on August 31, 2020
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    Holt euch nicht die Taschenbuch Version, das Papier ist so dünn wie Bibel Seiten. Bis jetzt ist nichts gerissen aber ich hab auch noch nicht angefangen zu lesen ..

    Don’t get the paperwork version - the paper is as thin as in a bible or something. Nothing toy yet but will I didn’t start reading either so yeah ..
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    Janik M. Dietz
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Holt euch nicht das Taschenbuch // don’t get the paperback version

    Reviewed in Germany on August 31, 2020
    Holt euch nicht die Taschenbuch Version, das Papier ist so dünn wie Bibel Seiten. Bis jetzt ist nichts gerissen aber ich hab auch noch nicht angefangen zu lesen ..

    Don’t get the paperwork version - the paper is as thin as in a bible or something. Nothing toy yet but will I didn’t start reading either so yeah ..
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  • John Quinn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, well reasoned, insightful, prophetic...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2020
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    Absolutely ideal reading for the Covid 19 lock-down.
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  • Samuel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stark reminder of the stratification going on in the world
    Reviewed in Singapore on December 11, 2023
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    I did not realize it till read this book. All the things we had grown up with. Stark reminder of how we need to change human race to become better. Classic piece that needs to be ready kept and re-read to remind us of "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" concept of mankind. None is above all.
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