United States of Oligarchy: How America's Wealth Inequality Threatens both American Democracy and National Security

A confluence of three factors - exploding wealth inequality, the rise of offshore finance, and the collapse of campaign finance regulations - have led not only to unprecedented corruption in Washington, but to the rise of an American oligarchy. Those figures, however, haven't dominated only American democracy, but have increasingly attempted to privatize American foreign policy - even if it means allying with American adversaries.

Our guide to this complex and clandestine world will be Casey Michel, Combatting Kleptocracy Program Head at the Human Rights Foundation. Casey Michel's work focuses on transnational corruption, illicit finance, and the corruption that links dictators around the world. He is the author of two books, American Kleptocracy and Foreign Agents, both published by St. Martin’s Press. Michel has written on kleptocracy and related topics for outlets like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, and others. He received his master’s degree Russian, Eurasian, and East European studies from Columbia University, and he’s currently sanctioned by the Russian regime for his work.