What's Luck Got to Do with It?

“What’s Luck Got to Do with It? intelligently and accessibly argues for the government’s proper role in addressing the effects of brute luck as an obstacle to equality of opportunity. Combining insights from economics, philosophy, religion, and psychology, this book brilliantly creates a path to a fairer America.” – Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation”Is what we earn the just desserts of hard work and deferred gratification? Or is it, in large part, the result of existential luck DL where, when, and to whom we are born? In this insightful and carefully-crafted book, Kleinbard argues that existential luck is enormously important for explaining the inequities of our society as well as the ideal policy response to such inequities. Policymakers would be wise to heed Kleinbard’s clarion call for greater publicinvestments in health care, education, and child care, and to acknowledge the essential importance of insuring Americans against systemic misfortune.” – Lily Batchelder, NYU School of Law, FormerNational Economic Council Deputy Director”With a relentless commitment to rigor and clarity, Edward Kleinbard has brought to light the unfairness of the U.S. economy and the unjustified risks that many Americans must bear. This provocative and entertaining book is a fresh look at how to complete America’s social contract. Featuring Ed’s legendary wit and ability to explain fiscal policy in plain English, this is a must read for anyone interested in greater economic justice.” – Emmanuel Saez andGabriel Zucman, co-authors of The Triumph of Injustice”Edward Kleinbard brilliantly analyzes how luck, good and bad, affect our economic circumstances. He notes that society accepts growing inequality because we too often discount the role of good luck in a person’s economic success. Kleinbard applies social insurance principles in developing sweeping policy responses to correct for bad luck. He matches an original assessment of our economic challenges with proven solutions to economic inequality.” – U.S. SenatorRon Wyden, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member

Edward D. Kleinbard sadly succumbed to cancer shortly after submitting the final manuscript for this book. Until his passing, he was the Robert C. Packard Trustee Chair in Law at the USC’s Gould School of Law, and a Fellow at The Century Foundation. Prior to those appointments, Professor Kleinbard served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Congress’s Joint Committee on Taxation, the non-partisan tax resource to Congress, and for more than thirty years in private practice as a renowned international tax expert.