This chapter begins with an introduction to the book. It then provides my account of the economic problem that fuels the crisis of American democracy. I describe in detail the economic changes that have occurred in the United States over the last half century, placing an especially strong emphasis on the effects of capital mobility. I discuss how these changes affect Americans from different economic classes. I argue that while the wealthy have benefitted, the workers, professionals, and small employers are subjected to enormous amounts of economic stress. They have less bargaining power, their jobs are more precarious, and they are burdened with debt. These classes attempt to use the American political system to alleviate this stress, but they struggle to get the system to respond to their needs, and they struggle to imagine compelling alternatives to the existing system. Their feelings of resentment and frustration are diverted down unproductive paths, as they are exploited by elites for votes and money. Over time, this degrades the quality of their political participation and of American culture as a whole. But while this political and cultural malaise is widely recognized, its economic causes are minimized and denied.