Affluence and influence economic inequality and political power in america martin gilens looks at thousands of proposed policy changes and the degree of support for each among poor middle class and affluent americans at a time when economic and political inequality in the united states only continues to riseaffluence and . Download citation affluence influence economic inequality and political power in america can a country be a democracy if its government only responds to the preferences of the rich in an . Martin gilenss book affluence and influence economic inequality and political power in america is a very important book that is not very fun to read it is sort of an extended version of a paper that gilens coauthored with benjamin page. Affluence and influence definitively explores how political inequality in the united states has evolved over the last several decades and how this growing disparity has been shaped by interest groups parties and elections. Affluence and influence definitively explores how political inequality in the united states has evolved over the last several decades and how this growing disparity has been shaped by interest groups parties and electionswith sharp analysis and an impressive range of data martin gilens looks at thousands of proposed policy changes and the