
← Princeton UP Ideas Podcast26 aug · 51 min
Paul Johnson, "Challenging Inequalities: How We Got Stuck and Where We Go Next" (Princeton UP, 2026)
There is a widespread sense throughout the developed world that
progress towards a better society has stalled. Many countries, including
the UK, have experienced persistent economic stagnation accompanied by
declining trust in institutions. Governments are struggling to respond
not only to traditional economic problems but also to newer challenges
posed by climate change, migration and technological change. Challenging Inequalities: How We Got Stuck and Where We Go Next (Princeton
University Press, 2026), written by Paul Johnson and coauthors, drawing
on the findings of the six-year IFS Deaton Review, connects these
conditions to inequality—inequality not just of income and wealth but of
health, political participation and opportunity. It not only offers a
detailed analysis of the different forms of inequalities but also an
in-depth consideration of why inequalities matter, how they have changed