In "The Price of Inequality," Joseph E. Stiglitz explores how America’s growing economic disparity is largely due to market distortions. He argues that the current system is structured in such a way that it incentivizes individuals and corporations to extract wealth from one another rather than to generate new wealth. These market distortions create a cycle of inequality that affects the overall health of society and the economy.

Stiglitz emphasizes that these imbalances in the market lead to significant societal consequences, where wealth becomes concentrated in the hands of a few. This concentration not only undermines the principles of fairness and opportunity but also poses threats to the collective future of the nation, as it hampers growth and innovation while fostering division among its citizens.