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Does Centralized Private Power Corrode The Rule Of Law?, James G. Wilson

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Wilson argues that profound wealth inequality invariably creates an unstable, dual legal system. The rich become largely immune from criminal sanctions, civil regulations, and taxation; the middle class carries the tax burden while the criminal justice system hammers the poor. This perpetuates the fear of the Framers that America would decline if it ever adopted a class system similar to the European class structure, which was far more drastic. The infamous revolving door between the corridors of public and private power guarantees regulatory capture; high-level bureaucrats, members of Congress, and military leaders flock to the private sector, where they are …