Inequality & Distribution

The most likely outcome of the second Trump administration is a recession and an exacerbation of inequalities, and a further degradation of the living standards of working and middle-class Americans.

The conference aims to examine the complex interplay of housing, law, economics, and spatial justice in an unequal world, and we welcome scholars and practitioners to participate.

As the world grapples with rapid technological advancements, demographic shifts, environmental challenges, and governance transformations, new forms of inequality are emerging.

Fred Block, Research Professor of Sociology at UC Davis, joins Rob Johnson to discuss his latest book, The Habitation Society, which explores the need to move beyond industrial-era economic models to create an economy that prioritizes community well-being. Block critiques how economic policies have fueled inequality and stagnation while offering solutions—such as restructuring public finance—to foster prosperity for all.

Author and Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Democracy Collaborative, Marjorie Kelly, talks about her recently released book, Wealth Supremacy: How the Extractive Economy and the Biased Rules of Capitalism Drive Today’s Crises (Berrett-Kohler, September 2023), which also outlines a vision for democratizing the economy so that it serves the broader public good.

Connecticut is the first state to fund and enact a baby bonds program, inspiring more states to create their own plans. Can it make a difference?

White House contenders ignore root causes threatening the program, potentially worsened by cuts. Is it due to reliance on wealthy donors?

When working within the same employment spell, female workers, particularly those of color and those working in low-wage service and care jobs, earn significantly less when facing greater volatility than their male counterparts or those working in non-service, non-care occupations.

Alessandro Roncaglia has mulled the topic of power over his long and distinguished career – a topic most economists avoid. His new book explores the historical dynamics of power and asks how we can change its distribution today.

Research on labor market experience does not explain the link between the volatility low-wage workers encounter and their earnings and it leaves open numerous pressing questions, such as what, if anything, can be done to reduce racial and ethnic differences in economic well-being.

Which households are more exposed to financial risk and to what extent is their debt systemically relevant?

Examining the crucial role of poverty and inequality in shaping household indebtedness.

In accepting mass unemployment, post-communist governments and the democratic parties that constituted them removed the economic foundation for Poland’s democracy.

A new book by economist Richard McGahey examines the country’s anti-urban structure and ideology, offering insights on how American cities can thrive.

Oxfam’s Economic Justice Director, Nabil Ahmed, and Oxfam International’s Inequality Policy & Advocacy Lead, Max Lawson, discuss their latest Global Inequality Report, which highlights the accelerating pace at which the world’s billionaires have increased their wealth exponentially in recent years. They also discuss the ways in which governments can reverse this trend through taxation.