The Problem With The Economy
How to Fix Our Busted Economy
Go straight to the top
To fix our economy, we just need to reorient our priorities as a country, redirect money to actual people instead of corporations, and build a robust social safety net. Should be easy… Ok, fine, this stuff is extremely difficult, but it’s not completely impossible.
There are plenty of bottom-up solutions to push for that could make things just a little more fair. Unions and other labor organizations are a key element in this fight, for instance, though it’s not always safe or possible for workers to organize in every place. As we learned in The Problem with the Economy, the truth is that government action — like regulations, social welfare programs, etc. — remain the best top-down solution to redistributing power.
So what should we demand our government do first, since they are theoretically supposed to be representing we the people? Panelist Amy Jo Hutchison said it perfectly: “We need a care infrastructure.” That would not only lift a considerable burden off of those in poverty, it would also empower workers to push for better conditions and wages. It’s not socialism; it’s common sense.
The Biden administration has also taken some steps toward expanding the social safety net. But these changes may not last forever. So we still have a long way to go.
“We need a care infrastructure.”
Places to start
Obviously you can and should continue to tell your local and state representatives that you’re in favor of specific policies which give money to people and not companies. There are also a ton of great organizations pushing to make our economy better for everyone. Fight for $15 is a great example. They’re working to raise the federal minimum wage.
On our episode Where Is Our Tax Money Going, we looked at just how broken our tax system is. To learn more about how to fix it, visit the Project on Government and Oversight (POGO).
Project on Government and Oversight
And to learn more about the issues we covered in Globalization: Made In America, visit these organizations:
The Center for Economic Accountability
To learn more about the issues we explored in The Inflation Blame Game, visit these organizations:
