Differentiating the deeper causes of income inequality from those that are more accidental is difficult. When we examine our own particular environments, it is natural that we should focus on our immediate surroundings: our colleagues, neighbors and fellow citizens. We don’t often think about how those on the other side of the world are faring. […]
Why inequality is increasing and what can we do about it?
Janet Yellen, chair of the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve, gave a speech in October 2014 in which she said that, “The past several decades have seen the most sustained rise in inequality since the 19th century after more than 40 years of narrowing inequality following the Great Depression. I think it […]
Families: The key to addressing social and economic inequality
Francis Fukuyama delivers an engaging critique of Robert Putnam’s latest book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis (Financial Times, March 2015). Putnam alerts us to the real reason behind America’s inequality, which is missing in current debates on the subject. His belief is that the gradual decline of the stable, two-parent, mother and father […]
Redistribution is not Enough
Ricardo Hausmann recently wrote a piece titled “Redistribution or inclusion?” for Project Syndicate. It provides a different view of the causes of inequality of income, looking particularly at developing countries. It points out that modern production requires many complementary inputs, many of which are present in advanced economies, but lacking in emerging economies. Some years ago a friend told […]
Inequality from the Inside Out
We cannot rely on a market economy driven purely by individual interest to remedy an unjust situation …
