Discussions about inequality tend to focus on the distribution of income and wealth. This column argues for a shift in focus towards another source of inequality – subjective wellbeing. Wellbeing inequality has grown significantly for the world as a whole and in eight of the ten global regions. One way to address this inequality is to increase social trust.
Read more...Book reviews of Slavery’s Capitalism and This Vast Southern Empire, with some thoughts on their relevance to our own day.
Read more...A round-up of victories for labor in the last year.
Read more...Jerri-Lynn here. The Department of Justice received considerable plaudits in August when it announced a decision not to renew contracts with private prison companies. At the time, a Marshall Project analysis made it clear that significance of that decision was overstated, as it only affected about 15% of inmates held in private prisons. The Department […]
Read more...Outrage over Colin Kaepernick’s comments on racism ignores the role of activism in improving the lives of veterans and Black Americans.
Read more...Corruption at NYU, Baylor, and Penn State.
Read more...Labor activists charge that pressure-cooker jobs and employer abuse are leading to more work-related suicides. But how can companies by held to account?
Read more...One-dimensional indicators such as GNI per capita are known to be flawed measures of well-being. The Human Development Index (HDI) introduced dimensions of health and education alongside income. This column argues that an HDI adjusted for inequality and hours worked gives deeper insight into a country’s economic standing. Using this composite measure, the US falls from first to seventh among G8 countries.
Read more...Should the Big Four be broken up? And how about the Duke of Westminster’s $9 billion tax-free inheritance?
Read more...Clinton’s hard move to the right is causing some consternation among bona fide progressives. But what will they do about it?
Read more...Debunking the idea that better education is an adequate remedy for inequality and high unemployment.
Read more...How economists studied collective decision-making after World War II, faced many impossibilities, and lost interest after solving them.
Read more...Thomas Friedman has managed to outdo himself on the downside.
Read more...Policy implementing the Maine Solid Waste hierarchy should be justified using emergy as the unit of account, and not dollars.
Read more...For individuals, the job market has barely improved since the Great Recession.
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