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

Blog
America's Skimpy Minimum Wage
January 4, 2012 - Had the federal minimum wage risen at the same pace as the earnings of the highest-paid Americans, it would now be $26.96 an hour. By Salvatore Babones

Blog
'Tis the Season to Shop at Tiffany's
December 24, 2011 - Retail sales are up in the top 1 percent's plutonomy, but down in the realonomy where the other 99 percent live. By Salvatore Babones

Commentary
Traitors to Their Class
December 21, 2011 - The Harvard students who occupied their campus are not betraying their class, but forming part of a long tradition of citizens with a conscience. By Chuck Collins and Peter Dreier

Op-Ed
The 10 Greediest Americans of 2011
December 12, 2011 - Whether they manage football pageants or Ford Motor Co., these guys remind us how much needs to change, economically and politically, in 2012 and beyond. By Sam Pizzigati, published in The Baltimore Sun and Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Blog
Tis the Season to Be Jolly on Wall Street, Still
December 7, 2011 - Financial industry insiders are grousing about a big downturn in annual bonuses. They should be thanking the rest of us - bombshell new research shows - for their continuing awesome good tidings. By Sam Pizzigati

Blog
The Other 99 Percent: How the U.S. Compares
December 5, 2011 - The other 99 percent fare much worse in the United States than in any other developed country. By Salvatore Babones, published in The (Stroudsburg, PA) Pocono Record and The Columbia Missourian

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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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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.”
August 21, 2012

The Connecticut Mirror features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
Nevertheless, report author Sarah Anderson said the tax code is "riddled with lots of loopholes" that allow corporations to unfairly whittle down the tax obligations and need to be closed.

Anderson said some of those "loopholes" include deductions for research and development and offshore tax havens. "The tax code needs to be looked at more closely, especially since we're dealing with a fiscal crisis," she said.
August 20, 2012

The Takeaway features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
This isn't going to make any CEOs happy. The Institute for Policy Studies, a left-leaning group in Washington, D.C., released its annual report yesterday. It calls out specific companies like Conoco Phillips and AT&T for paying their CEOs more than they pay the government in taxes. Its conclusion? Taxpayers are padding the pockets of higher-ups at these big corporations.<
August 20, 2012

Venture Beat features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report
August 20, 2012

The Las Vegas Sun features article “Subsidizing CEO Welfare”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
August 20, 2012

The Waterville (ME) Morning Sentinel features article “Subsidizing CEO Welfare”
Visit the publisher's website • See the article
August 19, 2012

The Guardian features report “Executive Excess 2012: The CEO Hands in Uncle Sam's Pocket”
Visit the publisher's website • See the report

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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 (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”

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

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

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

The Las Vegas Sun features article “Subsidizing CEO Welfare”

The Waterville (ME) Morning Sentinel features article “Subsidizing CEO Welfare”

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

Project Staff

Associate Fellows