Inequality and the Common Good

The Program on Inequality and the Common Good focuses on the dangers that growing inequality pose for U.S. democracy, economic health and civic life.

The program runs the following projects: Inequality.org, Too Much, Resilience Circles, Class Action, The Other98%, Wealth for the Common Good, Jamaica Plain Forum, and the Jamaica Plain New Economy Transition.

Sign up here for Too Much, our weekly newsletter on inequality and excess:

The Case for Increasing Taxes on the Wealthy

It is clear that the U.S. needs to reduce government expenditures in a responsible way. But if our lens is entirely focused on the expenditure side of the equation, we're going to miss a huge part of the solution.

IPS expert Chuck Collins discusses an economic and moral rationale for increasing taxes on the wealthy at TEDx.

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Recent Work

Column
Marching Toward Greater Inequality
July 30, 2012 - The world's super rich, according to a new report, are squirreling away phenomenal quantities of their cash in secret tax havens. By Sam Pizzigati, published in The Ames (IA) Tribune and The (Los Angeles, CA) Bell Gardens Sun

Op-Ed
Economic Rapture Might Be around the Corner
July 16, 2012 - If the deficit disappears, our economic nightmare might finally come to an end. By Salvatore Babones, published in Truthout and The (Alliance, OH) Review

Media Advisory
Resilience Circles help communities recover from extreme weather, disasters, and outages
July 11, 2012 - With many Americans only recently recovered from extreme weather, transportation challenges, and power and communications outages, some explore ways to strengthen local circles of support. By Sarah Byrnes

Op-Ed
The Tea Party Shtick
June 25, 2012 - Our founders wouldn't be amused. By Sam Pizzigati, published in The Liberty (TX) Vindicator and AlterNet

Op-Ed
Behind Super-Sized Sodas, a Deeper Danger
June 4, 2012 - If we really want to narrow our waistbands, we have to narrow the income gaps that divide us. By Sam Pizzigati, published in The Columbia Missourian and The (Easton, MD) Star Democrat

Blog
Verizon Shortchanges the Facts
May 29, 2012 - The telecommunications giant twisted the truth when it said it wanted to set the record straight in the Record-Journal By Chuck Collins and Scott Klinger

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Buy This Book
- Published April 15, 2012
- 168
- ISBN 1609945921
99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality Is Wrecking the World and What We Can Do About It
By Chuck Collins

Chuck Collins' new book provides revealing and powerful information about inequality in all realms of today’s world, including individual wealth and power, corporate wealth and power, media control, political influence, and other areas.
Buy This Book
- Published January 28, 2009
- ISBN 978-0-7391-3167-1
Mandate for Change: Policies and Leadership for 2009 and Beyond
By Chester Hartman

Three decades ago, conservative ideologues at The Heritage Foundation produced a primer on the Reagan Revolution entitled Mandate for Leadership, which offered an overarching philosophy against the role of government and in favor of markets.

Today, IPS has taken on the same task for the Obama administration. Mandate for Change is aimed at strengthening the new administration at a time when the need for progressive policies — and appointing progressive people to lead such efforts—is most urgent.
Buy This Book
- Published December 15, 2008
The Economic Meltdown Funnies
By Chuck Collins and Nick Thorkelson

The “Economic Meltdown Funnies” are a co-production of Jobs with Justice and the Institute for Policy Studies' Program on Inequality and the Common Good. Authors Chuck Collins and Nick Thorkelson provide a humorous, easy-to-follow guide to the many factors that led to the current financial crisis.

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October 4, 2012

Unionosity features article “A Congressional Report Card for the 99 Percent”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
October 4, 2012

PolicyMic features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Report was released today by progressive think-tank: Institute on Policy Studies in Washington, DC that gives a 'report-card' on how well/poor Congress addresses income inequality... As you can expect, 59 Congress members gets an 'F'. I expected that, but the overwhelming numbers of the wealth that these members have (on both sides of the aisle) was sort of mind-boggling.
October 4, 2012

Mother Jones features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
The "Inequality Report Card," published today by the Institute for Policy Studies, looks at how lawmakers voted on dozens of bills that would, among other things, raise taxes on the wealthy, restrict the use of offshore tax havens, increase the minimum wage, and strengthen labor unions.
October 4, 2012

The New York Times features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
"The Institute for Policy Studies in Washington estimates that four major tax breaks that encourage excessive corporate pay cost taxpayers $14.4 billion last year. And 26 chief executives received more in pay last year than their companies paid in total federal corporate income taxes," wrote columnist Nicholas Kristof.
October 4, 2012

The Examiner features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
The Institute for Policy Studies gave Rep. Tim Scott a failing grade in its Congressional Report Card, which was released yesterday.

He was one of 48 U.S. representatives, and the only one from South Carolina, to receive this lowest grade.

In its report, IPS notes that Scott voted to extend the Bush tax cuts on both high and unearned income (HR 8) and to reduce corporate (HR 9). He voted against a measure that would prevent use of offshore accounts as tax havens (theDoggett Amendment), and Scott also co-sponsored a bill to reduce taxes on overseas earnings (HR 1834). He co-sponsored a bill to eliminate estate taxes (HR 1259), as well.
October 4, 2012

The Huffington Post features report “America Is Not Broke”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Most importantly, nobody dared to breathe the truth, lest it actually get out -- America Is Not Broke.

That's right, the debate was an exercise in ridiculousness that produced no insight, no plan, no inspiration, no leadership, no truth. We are rich. We have enough money to put nutritious food on the tables of the one in five U.S. kids who are hungry and undernourished. We have enough money to help the laid-off moms and dads make ends meet until they get another job.
October 3, 2012

Eagle Times (Alabama) features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Buerkle ranked among those on the “dishonor roll” for her votes, which the IPS said consistently favored the interests of the wealthy instead of looking out for the needs of everyone statewide.
October 3, 2012

Common Dreams features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Mitt Romney and I both grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a wealthy suburb of Detroit. For much of our childhoods, we were represented in Congress by a tireless defender of the rich and powerful, U.S. Representative William Broomfield... Not every member of Congress is as clear cut in their allegiances as my former Congressman. Which is why the new Institute for Policy Studies “Congressional Report Card for the 99 Percent” is so useful...
October 3, 2012

Huffington Post features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Want to know how your reps on Capitol Hill rate on inequality? Check out a new Congressional Report Card for the 99 Percent issued by my organization, the Institute for Policy Studies.
October 3, 2012

Madville Times features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Washington-based progressive think tank Institute for Policy Studies has issued its 2012 Inequality Report Card, which scores members of Congress on their support for the 99% rather than the richest 1% of Americans.

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Sign up here for Too Much, our weekly newsletter on inequality and excess:

The following are all projects of Inequality and the Common Good:

Inequality.org

This new inequality.org site aims to be your portal into all things online related to the income and wealth gaps that so divide us, in the United States and throughout the world. Visit www.Inequality.org

Too Much

Each and every week, Too Much explores excess and inequality, in the United States and throughout the world. We cover a wide swatch of territory, everything from the latest executive pay outrage to the most current research insights on how staggering income and wealth divides are impacting our health and our happiness. Visit www.TooMuchOnline.org

Common Security Clubs

These are uncertain times. The Great Recession has reminded us of our vulnerabilities: debt, foreclosure, unemployment, job insecurity, evaporating savings, and rising costs. Common Security Clubs are a safe place where neighbors come together to increase their personal security in a rapidly changing world. Visit www.CommonSecurityClub.org

Class Action and www.classism.org

Class Action is a project based at the Program on Inequality and the Common Good. We provide a dynamic framework and analysis, as well as safe space, for people from across the class spectrum to explore class and to identify and begin to dismantle classism. We accomplish this through trainings, workshops, organizational consulting, resources, public awareness, and our blog, Classism Exposed. Visit www.Classism.org

The Other 98%

The Other 98% is a grassroots network of concerned citizens fed up with the status quo in Washington. We seek practical solutions to the many challenges facing America. We stand against the bankers, CEOs and lobbyists who have hijacked our democracy to serve themselves at the expense of everyone else. Visit www.Other98.com

Wealth for the Common Good

Wealth for the Common Good is a network of business leaders, high-income households and partners working together to promote shared prosperity and fair taxation. Our membership includes entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, school teachers, engineers and elected officials of all backgrounds, political stripes and from all over the country. Visit www.WealthForCommonGood.org

Jamaica Plain Forum

Jamaica Plain Forum is a free, public series of discussions, lectures, workshops, films, and events addressing current topics of interest to the Jamaica Plain community, a neighborhood in Boston where our IPS New England office is based. Visit www.JamaicaPlainForum.org

Jamaica Plain New Economy Transition

The Jamaica Plain New Economy Transition (JPNET) brings together neighbors to address the ongoing challenges of a hurting economy, climate change, and the rising costs of healthcare, food, and energy, and prepare for a transition to a new economy. We are part of Transition U.S. Visit www.jptransition.org

Inequality and the Common Good

The Case for Increasing Taxes on the Wealthy

Recent Work

Unionosity features article “A Congressional Report Card for the 99 Percent”

PolicyMic features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”

Mother Jones features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”

The New York Times features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”

The Examiner features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”

The Huffington Post features report “America Is Not Broke”

Eagle Times (Alabama) features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”

Common Dreams features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”

Huffington Post features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”

Madville Times features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”

Project Staff

Associate Fellows