Ladder or Lottery: Economic Promises and the Reality of Who Gets Ahead

By Gary Hoover

Who really gets ahead in a market-based economy.

This book asks the reader a simple question: Is our economy a ladder or a lottery? Are people able to control their position on the economic spectrum by their actions? Some argue that, in our market-based economy, if you play by certain rules and make certain choices, you'll achieve upward mobility no matter what economic position you were born into.

Drawing on his vast economic expertise, Gary A. Hoover explores what the "social contract" requires of its citizens, and what it offers in return. Hoover shows how civil unrest is often directly related to broken society-level promises, exploring protest movements such as Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party, the Arab Spring, and student debt forgiveness as case studies. He also predicts where future protests can be expected if results promised are not results delivered.

This insightful and data-driven book tackles challenging issues around income inequality, health care, and artificial intelligence, and ultimately equips readers to answer these pressing questions: Is our social contract a ladder to higher economic standing, accessible to all no matter where they start? Or rather a lottery in which many will buy a ticket but only a few will find success? And how can we best align social promises with our lived economic realities?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520402626
• ISBN13: 9780520402621
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 1.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 21.6" x 19.1"