Catholic Social Teaching, Work Relations, and the Deepening Crisis of Democracy
October 18, 2022
During the first three-quarters of the 20th century, the expansion of workers' rights and democracy went hand in hand. As workers organized, their efforts provided the impetus for winning the right to vote for women and disenfranchised African Americans. As democracy expanded, workers' rights were in turn placed on more solid footing. Over the past half century, however, this virtuous cycle was reversed. The deterioration of worker organization during this period has contributed to a deterioration of democracy and deepening partisan polarization, which in turn have further weakened workers' rights.
In this talk, labor expert Joseph McCartin ‘81, Holy Cross alumnus and professor of history and executive director of the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University, explains how Catholic social teaching can help point the way as we confront dual crises in workers' collective power and democratic norms.