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

Op-Ed
Shortchanging America
April 30, 2012 - Verizon is the poster child for corporate irresponsibility. By Chuck Collins and Scott Klinger, published in Progressive Charlestown (RI)

Op-Ed
Bank CEOs Gain as Millions Lose Dreams, Retirement to Foreclosure
April 25, 2012 - While foreclosures have devastated the financial security of millions of American families, the CEOs of Wells Fargo and Bank of America have seen their retirement packages balloon. By John Cavanagh and Scott Klinger

Op-Ed
Helmsley and the 'Little People'
April 19, 2012 - America needs a tax system that meets our needs to pay for good schools along with safe and dependable infrastructure. By Scott Klinger

Blog
The 'Buffet' Rule': Winning the Debate but Losing the Vote
April 17, 2012 - Chuck Collins, author of the newly released "99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality Is Wrecking the World and What We Can Do About It" weighs in on the U.S. News & World Report debate over a potential new tax for top-earners. By Matias Ramos

Op-Ed
Pothole Nation
April 16, 2012 - We can thank inequality for America's inadequate -- and increasingly unsafe -- basic infrastructure. By Sam Pizzigati, published in Common Dreams and The Holland (MI) Sentinel and The Newark Star-Ledger

Interview
Washington Journal Discusses Wealth Inequality
April 11, 2012 - Chuck Collins visited C-SPAN to talk about his new book, "99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality is Wrecking Our World and What We Can Do About It." By Chuck Collins

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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 3, 2012

The San Francisco Chronicle features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
"Advocacy groups have long rated members of Congress on their voting record as regards the environment, child welfare, conservative values, education, and a raft of other issues and philosophies. So it was only a matter of time before Americans would see a report card grading their leaders on how their votes widen or narrow the great divide between the wealthiest 1 percent and the rest of us," wrote the San Francisco Chronicle's editorial board on its Opinion Shop blog. "Today, the Institute for Policy Studies issued its report card on how the members of Congress are wielding their considerable power to shape our economy. That is, how they vote on tax rules, trade policies, subsidies and contracts. The topics, in fact, at the heart of tonight’s presidential debate between President Obama and his challenger, Republican Mitt Romney."
October 3, 2012

The Huffington Post features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
When we started the grading process, we feared it could turn out to be a big bore. With Congress so polarized, we expected to find lock-step partisan voting that would give all Republicans F's and all Democrats A's. Instead, we found that the divisiveness between parties is also alive and well within parties.

In general, however, we found Republicans to be extremely loyal to the "1 percent." We gave 59 of them an F.

The point of this report card is not just to name and shame. We also aim to draw attention to the many creative proposals for restoring fairness that deserve more support. Two of the pending bills on our list would raise revenue for human needs by putting a small tax on Wall Street transactions. Another would increase the minimum wage and then index it to inflation.
October 1, 2012

Forbes
Visit the publisher's website
But the reason investors are given such favorable rates is because businesses use that money to hire workers and buy equipment — things that the economy needs to grow.

Psychologically, however, it might fill a different kind of void: According to the Institute for Policy Studies, the top 10 percent of all citizens here own 80 percent of all stock market wealth. The lower half of the country holds just .5 percent. Hiking taxes on investment income and growth would thus hit a relatively small number, albeit a lot of widows and orphans are dependent on dividend income and especially from those faithful utilities.
September 25, 2012

The (San Francisco) Beyond Chron features article “The 'Self-Made' Hallucination of America's Rich”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
September 24, 2012

Common Dreams features article “The 'Self-Made' Hallucination of America's Rich”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
September 19, 2012

The Ft. Lupton (CO) Press features article “Chicago and the Psychology of Teacher Bashing”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
September 17, 2012

Truthout features article “Chicago and the Psychology of Teacher Bashing”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
September 16, 2012

The Gilmer (TX) Mirror features article “Virtually, Anything Goes with Online Education”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
September 14, 2012

Japan Times features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
September 12, 2012

The Indypendent features article “Virtually, Anything Goes with Online Education”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article

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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

The San Francisco Chronicle features report “Inequality Report Card: Grading Congress on Inequality”

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

Forbes

The (San Francisco) Beyond Chron features article “The 'Self-Made' Hallucination of America's Rich”

Common Dreams features article “The 'Self-Made' Hallucination of America's Rich”

The Ft. Lupton (CO) Press features article “Chicago and the Psychology of Teacher Bashing”

Truthout features article “Chicago and the Psychology of Teacher Bashing”

The Gilmer (TX) Mirror features article “Virtually, Anything Goes with Online Education”

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

The Indypendent features article “Virtually, Anything Goes with Online Education”

Project Staff

Associate Fellows