Reversing Inequality: Unleashing Potential Of An Equitable Economy

Above Photo: From thenextsystem.org Introduction The US economy’s deep systemic inequalities of income, wealth, power, and opportunity are part of global inequality trends, but US-style capitalism and public policy make inequalities more acute. Their observable and felt harm to our civic and economic life is corroborated by research from many disciplines. Yet, by the same token, moving toward a more egalitarian society would realign most ... Read more

Don’t Lie To Poor Kids About Why They’re Poor

Above Photo: Shutterstock Those at the bottom — and the top — deserve to know why their experiences are so different. Work hard and you’ll get ahead — that’s the mantra driven into young people across the country. But what happens when children born into poverty run face first into the crushing reality that the society they live in really isn’t that fair at all? As new research shows, they break down. A just released study published in the ... Read more

Fighting Inequality: Which Nations Do More Than Pay Lip Service?

Above Photo: From inequality.org Two global groups have joined to create a first-ever yardstick for holding our world’s top politicos accountable, nation by nation, for narrowing our grand divides. Two years ago, in 2015, just about all the nations in the world came together and agreed to make reducing inequality — the gap between rich and poor — a prime United Nations “sustainable development goal.” A noble gesture. But UN groups make noble ... Read more

In 40 Years: CEO Pay Up 937%, Worker Wages Stagnant

Above: Image credit: Sergei Bachlakov / Shutterstock.com US inequality problem continues to be the worst in the industrialized world. A new report, published by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) this week, shows that while wages for American workers have essentially remained stagnant for decades, CEO pay has soared at an “outrageous” clip. A study by the Pew Research Center (PRC) in 2014 found that economic analyses show a “lack of ... Read more

Citizens’ Wealth Funds: An Alternative To The Inequality Escalator

Above Photo: Jonny White/flickr/CC Many attempts to tackle inequality fall short because they fail to target inequality’s primary source, the concentration of the ownership of both capital and other forms of wealth. Because of this concentration, the substantial returns that stem from wealth — in dividends, rent, and interest — accrue almost wholly to the already rich. Citizens’ wealth funds can help break up concentrated wealth. These funds ... Read more