The unheavenly chorus: unequal political voice and the broken promise of American democracy

Introduction: democracy and political voice

The (ambivalent) tradition of equality in America

The context: growing economic inequality and weakening unions

Equal voice and the dilemmas of democracy

Does unequal voice matter?

The persistence of unequal voice

Unequal at the starting line: the intergenerational persistence of political inequality

Political participation over the life cycle

Political activism and electoral democracy: perspectives on economic inequality and political polarization

Political voice through organized interests

Who sings in the heavenly chorus? the shape of the organized interest system

The changing pressure community

Beyond organizational categories

Political voice through organized interest activity

Breaking the pattern through political recruitment

Weapon of the strong? participatory inequality and the internet

What, if anything, is to be done?

Conclusion: equal voice and the promise of American democracy.