American Society: How It Really Works

Erik Olin Wright was Vilas Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A giant in the field of contemporary Marxian sociology, Wright’s research mainly involved large-scale quantitative investigations of various themes connected to social inequality. Wright was the author of many books, including Class Counts, Interrogating Inequality, and Classes. He also organized what he called the “Real Utopias Project,” which is also a series of books for Verso, that explored a wide range of radical proposals for transforming the core institutions of contemporary society. In addition, he founded the A. E. Havens Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, whose mission is to foster dialogue between activists and academics and to encourage critical perspectives on contemporary social issues.

Joel Rogers is professor of law, political science, public affairs, and sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A MacArthur Foundation "genius" prizewinner, Rogers was identified by?Newsweek?as one of the 100 living Americans most likely to shape U.S. politics and culture in the twenty-first century. The common thread in his academic work is democracy: how to define and measure it, what makes it work, how to make it work better. Rogers spends a lot of time outside the university advising people in politics, government, business, and social movements. He runs the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, which promotes high-road ( equitable, sustainable, democratic) economic development and governance. It has produced a stream of influential innovations in worker training; business and labor strategy; and local, state, and national policy.