The 1,645 wealthiest men and women worldwide—492 of them in the United States—who control assets worth $6.5 trillion are shaping the world for the better and sometimes for the worse. In this podcast and in his new book, Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings, explains who the billionaires are, how they are more involved than ever in politics and society, why this matters, and how, for many reasons, they really are not like the rest of us.

Also, hear what John Hudak has to say about what's happening now in Congress.

Show Notes:

• Billionaires: Reflections on the Upper Crust• U.S. Billionaire Political Power Index• Global Billionaire Political Power Index• More resources about billionaires• Saving Horatio Alger: Equality, Opportunity, and the American Dream• FixGov blog

Feedback or questions? Send an email to [email protected].