How the Meritocracy Illusion Divided the U.S. episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 15, 2026 · 1H 16M

How the Meritocracy Illusion Divided the U.S.

from Harvard Business Review · host HBR

How the Myth of Meritocracy Divided the U.S. 11 Nov 2020 --- One week after a contentious U.S. election, we speak with Harvard political philosopher Michael J. Sandel about making sense of what’s happening in America. In his new book, “The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?”, Sandel argues that stalled social mobility has led to anger and frustration. He advocates for building a fairer, more inclusive society shaped by updated principles of justice and dignity. --------------------------------------------------------------------- At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect — would be better off. So we try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. We enlist the foremost experts in a wide range of topics, including career planning, strategy, leadership, work-life balance, negotiations, innovation, and managing teams. Harvard Business Review empowers professionals around the world to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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