A democracy should protect its citizens, especially the most vulnerable among them, but increasingly the United States is failing to do so. This investigative and persuasive documentary blends the insights of philosophers, authors and journalists with the experiences of citizens of the Rust Belt in the U.S. Midwest, where the steel industry once flourished, but where closures and outsourcing have left urban areas desolate and hopeless. It’s here that Donald Trump finds some of his most fervent supporters, as he’s not considered part of the hated Washington establishment.

 The focus of Conference 2019 is rising inequality, the pre-eminent threat to economic and social justice, and to democracy, in the 21st century. The conference will aim at deepening our understanding of the international economic forces that propel deepening inequality, particularly global financial markets and neoliberal policies, and will consider international and domestic policies aimed at reversing these trends.