Question

Match each late-nineteenth-century social critic below with the target of his criticism.

A. Thorstein Veblen
B. Jack London
C. Jacob Riis
D. Henry Demarest Lloyd
1. "bloated trusts"
2. slum conditions
3. "conspicuous consumption"
4. destruction of nature

Answer 1

Thorstein Veblen criticized the late nineteenth-century capitalist society in his book The Theory of the Leisure Class. He targeted the practice of "conspicuous consumption" and its impact on the working class.

Step-by-step explanation:

Thorstein Veblen criticized the late nineteenth-century capitalist society in his book The Theory of the Leisure Class. He targeted the practice of "conspicuous consumption", which referred to the middle class's focus on personal comfort and consumption rather than production. Veblen argued that this exploitation of the working class by nonproducers and the creation of business trusts only widened the wealth gap and caused economic inefficiencies.