One of the biggest and most controversial economic questions that has persisted throughout history is, how should wealth be distributed? Philosophers and politicians throughout the ages have attempted to address this topic, be it through position papers or policy. However, economic inequality in the United States has always been an issue, and it is at its worst today. Since 1979, the average household income for the top one percent of Americans has grown by nearly $1.5 million, while those of the bottom 99 percent have remained roughly the same (Gilson). Furthermore, falling incomes since 2000 have led toa shrinking middle class (Parlapiano). Not only is this increasing inequality economically unsound, since a strong middle class is necessary to a sustainable economy, but it is also inherently immoral. As advisor to the President on subjects of economic justice, I strongly recommend policy that will be beneficial to the economy from a moral perspective. I highly suggest policy that will support and encourage unionization – a critical component of the strength of the middle class. I also advise the President to consider labor laws that will expand the rights of workers in the workplace, and, on a broader scale, heavy taxes placed upon the top 10 percent.
Former secretary of labor Robert Reich is a well-known proponent of the middle class and of economic justice. His 2013 documentary Inequality for All examines the increasing income inequality in the United States not only from an economic and statistical perspective but also from a more human, moral view. The film features working-class individuals and families who share their experiences with struggling to get by in an increasingly unequal society. Reich has acknowledged the hardships of the middle class and has pushed for the re-strengthening of unions in order to reverse its decline. My first suggestion for the President draws upon Reich’s suggestions for an increase in unionization: I propose a federal law that will ban all state “right-to-work” laws. These laws essentially con workers out of potential union benefits and keep them with lower wages. If we can enact a federal law to prevent this, workers will benefit in multiple ways. First of all, they will have more of an incentive to form unions, as they will now be able to receive far more benefits. An increase in unionization means that employees will have more control over themselves and their rights in the workplace. Therefore, not only will the income gap begin to diminish between employees and employers, but also the imbalance of power so often found in workplaces across the country will become less skewed.
To draw upon the subject of rights of employees, I strongly urge the President to consider an expansion of labor laws in favor of workers. Such laws are necessary in order to protect the middle class, who are all too often subject to exploitation and discrimination at the hands of their employers. In his Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, Karl Marx explains the ways in which labor can cause an individual to experience alienation due to the nature of the work and the work environment. Eventually, a worker becomes a slave to the product of his or her labor, which exists as a foreign object that exercises power over the worker. Marx explains that the product of a worker’s labor exists as “something alien, as a power independent of the producer (Marx, 702). This alienation, or ‘estranged labor’ as Marx referred to it, is not merely a component of a centuries-old philosophy, but something that has affected and continues to affect middle class workers who do not hold much power in the workplace. Thus, labor laws to ameliorate the work environment of members of the middle class must be enacted. These may include living wage laws, which would mandate that full-time workers be paid enough to support themselves and a small family. Too many Americans who work full-time in such fields as retail and service are hardly paid enough to support themselves, let alone their families. Additionally, occupational safety and health laws must be enacted to ensure that workplaces are safe and productive places for workers. Along with these laws must come stronger anti-discrimination workers so as to protect workers regardless of their varying identities, and to impose harsher penalties upon employers that violate such laws. All these labor laws are necessary for the maintenance of the basic health and well-being of the middle class: making sure that their rights are protected in the workplace are imperative.
127 our experts are availableright now
My final proposal for the President involves taking the progressive tax to the next step. Although we currently have a progressive tax in place, the extreme amounts of wealth that are owned by the top ten percent of the population is obscene. To even out this imbalance of wealth, I propose a tax of 70 percent on individuals making over one million dollars per year. Although this large percentage may seem shocking, this tax increase would help reverse the widening of the income gap between the very poor and the very rich, thereby rejuvenating and supporting the middle class. It would also allow for a more fair distribution of wealth, as the tax dollars from the upper classes will be able to fund critical public resources such as education, welfare, and public Works.
Of these three policy recommendations, the latter will definitely draw the most criticism. Many conservatives believe that the wealthier classes are so-called job creators’ and are extremely important to the economy since they make investments and start businesses. If we tax the rich at such high rates, one might argue that this could be harmful to the middle class because there will be less money to invest into businesses, leading to fewer jobs. Fewer jobs mean fewer workers from whom the government collects taxes, ultimately reducing tax revenue. However, the entire foundation of this argument -that the rich are the job creators – is flawed. The real job creators are the middle class. By being the primary group of consumers in the United States, the middle class essentially pumps money into the economy, allowing money to be circulated and for jobs to be created. It is imperative that we place taxes on the wealthy classes so that the middle class can prosper.
It is no longer a disputed fact that the middle class is disappearing. Inequality is at an all-time high as the gap between extremely rich and extremely poor continues to widen. But there are ways that this process can be slowed and even reversed. I hope that the President will take my policy suggestions into consideration: I truly believe that with government involvement, the middle class can be set back onto the right track.
