Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World

Giridharadas begins by remarking that even though the US is said to be incredibly prosperous, it’s plagued by lingering social, economic, and political issues. These issues have bred resentment about institutions, fueled the rise of populist movements that contributed to the election of Donald Trump, and motivated critics and activists on the political left. One of the most glaring issues is the income gap between the tiny percentage of the wealthiest Americans and most citizens. According to Giridharadas, a growing trend is that problems related to this gap are approached not by democratic processes or collective problem solving but rather by businesses seeking to do good while making profits.

The main goal of Winners Take All is to expose the problematic nature of this situation. Giridharadas is suspicious of the stated good intentions of such businesses, arguing that they pay only lip service to addressing inequality. Many corporate leaders speak of changing the world, yet the average person’s life doesn’t improve. The question is whether the responsibility for reform and improvement will be taken up by institutions “elected by and accountable to the people, or rather by wealthy elites” (10).