America was founded on a radical promise: all people are created equal. But for 250 years, some of the country’s most powerful thinkers have been arguing the opposite.In Country of Lords, historian Kim Phillips-Fein traces the largely forgotten intellectual tradition that has defended hierarchy, from the Founding Fathers and Gilded Age industrialists to today’s tech elite. She reveals how inequality has repeatedly been reframed as natural, necessary, and even good for society, and why those arguments are resurfacing at a moment of extraordinary wealth concentration.In this conversation with guest host Michael Kovnat, Kim explores the dark side of meritocracy, why some of America’s richest men believed wealth proved superiority, and how ideas once considered fringe are finding new life in Silicon Valley. With AI threatening to concentrate wealth even further, she asks a question that has followed America since its founding: how much inequality can a democracy survive?🎥 The Next Big Idea is on YouTube! You can find our episodes here.📱 Follow Rufus on LinkedIn, subscribe to our Substack, or send us an email at [email protected].Today's episode is sponsored by:Granola — The AI notepad with notes, actions, and memory, and no annoying meeting bots. Try it totally free for three months at granola.ai/ideaIM8 — Athletes. Doctors. They all drink IM8. Get a free welcome kit, five free travel sachets, and 10% off your order when you use code NBI at im8health.com/nbiMomentous — If you want to try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine, head to livemomentous.com and use code IDEA for up to 35% off your entire first orderNorthwest Registered Agent — Helping small business owners and entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses for nearly 30 years. Learn more at northwestregisteredagent.com/nbifreeQuince — Find your next fall favorites at quince.com/nbi. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.Shopify — It’s where you go to start your business, with everything you need already there from day one. Start your free trial at shopify.com/nbiUpwork — Find freelancers for any project. Visit upwork.com right now and post your job for free