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
Immobility Nation
January 30, 2012 - For most people facing poverty today in the United States, the concept of America as the land of opportunity is just a fable. By Salvatore Babones, published in Common Dreams and The (Highland, CA) Community News

Blog
Good News and Bad News about GDP Growth
January 27, 2012 - Americans are in for a long, hard slog. By Salvatore Babones

Blog
Tax-Haven Abuse Film Hits the Fast Lane
January 26, 2012 - "We're Not Broke," the new documentary about tax-dodging corporations, premiered at Sundance. By Chuck Collins

Blog
Should We All Start Praying for Mitt Romney?
January 23, 2012 - Absolutely. The GOP Presidential hopeful from Bain Capital has become a walking, talking object lesson on how plutocracy works - and why we desperately need to end it. By Sam Pizzigati

Commentary
Law and Order 24/7, Except at Tax Time
January 18, 2012 - The rich don't much like paying taxes when tax rates run high. They don't much like paying taxes when tax rates run low either. By Sam Pizzigati

Column
Behold and Beware Our New 'SWAG' Economy
January 11, 2012 - Today's swaggering rich are increasingly stuffing their dollars into investments that do America's 99 percent not one whit of good. By Sam Pizzigati

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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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September 10, 2012

Capital Times features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
September 7, 2012

The (Russellville, KY) News-Democrat & Leader features article “Who's Really Winning the Smartphone Wars?”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
September 4, 2012

Unionosity features article “Who's Really Winning the Smartphone Wars?”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
September 4, 2012

Common Dreams features article “Who's Really Winning the Smartphone Wars?”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
August 31, 2012

Grand Junction Free Press features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Let's simplify: The rich are getting richer, and the poor poorer, including those of us in the middle class. A news item caught my eye a couple of weeks ago noting that 26 of the largest companies in the U.S. paid their CEOs more in salary than the company paid in taxes. The report from the Institute for Policy Studies used James McNerney Jr. of Boeing as an example.
August 31, 2012

Toronto Star features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Meanwhile, CEO salaries are skyrocketing, states the Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). Last year, 25 of the top 100 U.S. corporate leaders received more in their paycheques — $20.6 million on average — than their companies paid in taxes, and that includes companies that got government bailouts.

As for the top 50 "layoff leaders" — those companies that fired the most workers — their CEOs averaged almost $12 million a year in salary.
August 30, 2012

The (Alliance, OH) Review features article “A Bold New Call for a 'Maximum Wage'”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
August 30, 2012

The (Los Angeles, CA) Bell Gardens Sun features article “A Bold New Call for a 'Maximum Wage'”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
August 28, 2012

The Los Angeles Times features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
"Our report details how taxpayers are in effect rewarding corporate executives for gaming the tax system," said Scott Klinger, a coauthor of the study. "The tax code has become a prime enabler of bloated CEO pay."
August 23, 2012

The Nation features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
“That was a bit surprising to us,” says Klinger, “because corporate profits are at a fifty-year high.”

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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

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

The (Russellville, KY) News-Democrat & Leader features article “Who's Really Winning the Smartphone Wars?”

Unionosity features article “Who's Really Winning the Smartphone Wars?”

Common Dreams features article “Who's Really Winning the Smartphone Wars?”

Grand Junction Free Press features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”

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

The (Alliance, OH) Review features article “A Bold New Call for a 'Maximum Wage'”

The (Los Angeles, CA) Bell Gardens Sun features article “A Bold New Call for a 'Maximum Wage'”

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

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

Project Staff

Associate Fellows