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There Is Nothing for You Here
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Learn the key ideas of the book by Fiona Hill

There Is Nothing for You Here

The democratic crisis and the collapse of social mobility

Populism is a threat to the very survival of many democracies around the world. Over the decades, there has been a steady increase in internal inequality, which has exacerbated the socio-economic conditions of a large part of the population. In There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century, Fiona Hill examines past and current events in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia, in an attempt to understand the causes of this crisis, as well as analysing the possible solutions. Hill describes her own rise out of poverty, thanks to her education, and urges us all to do our part, so that everyone is given equal opportunities for a better future.

There Is Nothing for You Here
Read in 14 min.
Listen in 18 min.
IDEA CHIAVE 1/10

Since the 1980s, the United States and the United Kingdom have experienced comparable periods of decline

Nowadays, the United States of America can be defined by poor social cohesion, growing political disruption, a gradual loss of public trust in the government, deteriorating national institutions, and a declining sense of civic duty on the part of private citizens. This general decline began in the 1980s when, under President Ronald Reagan, the United States gradually moved away from heavy industry, leaving entire areas of the country without employment or opportunities. In the United States of America, the opportunity gap between those living in economic hardship and those at the top of the social ladder has widened significantly since the early 2000s. Economic and geographical inequality worsened further with the 2008-2010 crisis. While education, together with the place where a person is born and raised, have always become two determining factors for success in society, today there are also other important factors to consider. As the world continues to change at an increasingly fast pace, the education system is not able to adapt accordingly. Even a university degree is no longer enough to guarantee a job, but with college debts prohibiting the costs of further specialisation, students end up losing hope for a better future. According to the author, over time, this sense of despair turns into anger, and allows populism to get the upper hand over democracy.

The UK is also experiencing similar issues. The neo-liberal measures of Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, divided the country between areas that were thriving, and areas in decline.These divisions had already begun in the previous years, but they were exacerbated by the policies introduced during this time. Northeast England, for example, was once a specialised mining area, but its industry was phased out as it became obsolete. However, no adequate measures were implemented that allowed people to re-enter the labour market with dignity.

Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher’s policies enabled the economic growth of their respective countries from the 1990s to the early 2000s, but they also created significant social and geographic inequality between people who were able to keep up with the change, and those who were left behind. This generated political divisions which finally, in 2016, led to Donald Trump’s election as president in the US, and to the Brexit referendum in the UK.

  

The key ideas of "There Is Nothing for You Here"

01.
Since the 1980s, the United States and the United Kingdom have experienced comparable periods of decline
02.
Vladimir Putin was the first populist leader of the 21st century
03.
Growing social immobility could lead modern democracies into serious trouble
04.
Democracy and economic growth are closely related
05.
Education is the key to social mobility, but it is not enough
06.
Racism in the United States makes the nation a unique case in point when it comes to inequality
07.
The political divisions in the US are the greatest threat to its democracy
08.
Everyone must do their part to create an infrastructure of opportunity
09.
Quotes
10.
Take-home message
 
 
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