The political economy of U.S. Energy and equity policy

An analysis of the energy crisis in the United States is advanced that draws upon Marxist dialectical materialism. The character of U.S. energy policy is explained as the outcome of the interplay of a young, newly powerful managerial class and the older, still powerful capitalist class. The rise of the managerial class points toward the emergence of a postcapitalist society where power still does not pass to the masses, as the working class remains excluded from control over social policymaking. A special case of this exclusion is the design of U.S. energy policy. Equity concerns in the context of energy policy and the creation of strategies to promote greater equity reflect the interests of the managerial class. Therefore, the relationship between energy policy and social inequality has been limited to income inequality rather than touching the more fundamental inequality that is tied to the nature of the mode of production.

Duke Scholars

Author William A. Darity Jr. Sanford School of Public Policy