ENVISION:

In the new American economy, the focus shifts from capital accumulation for the few to broad-based prosperity for the many:

• Every full-time worker earns a living wage that comfortably covers housing, food, and healthcare.
• The tax system is truly progressive, ensuring those with the greatest means contribute proportionately to society.
• Public education, from pre-K through university, is a fully funded right that eliminates the barrier of student debt.
• Workers have a voice in the workplace through unions and collective bargaining.
• The gap between executive compensation and the average worker’s pay remains within reasonable, ethical limits.
• Healthcare is decoupled from employment, ensuring every citizen is protected regardless of their employment status.
• Economic growth is measured by the well-being and health of the population, not just GDP.
• The legal system protects labor rights as fiercely as it protects property rights.
• Housing is treated as a fundamental human need rather than an investment vehicle.
• Automation and AI are used to enhance creativity and reduce the work week, rather than to increase profits and reduce the number of workers employed.
• Generational wealth transfers are managed to ensure equality of opportunity for every child, regardless of birth.
• Corporations are held socially accountable for their environmental and community impact.
• Essential utilities—like water, electricity, and high-speed internet—are affordable and accessible to every household.
• The financial sector serves the real economy, prioritizing easy, low-cost banking and low-cost capital for small business and entrepreneur innovation and infrastructure.
• Paid family and medical leave is guaranteed, allowing workers to prioritize their families without fear of poverty.
• Public policy incentivizes worker-owned cooperatives and employee stock ownership plans.
• Public art projects are robustly funded, ensuring that culture and beauty are integrated into civic life and artists are employed as vital contributors to society.
• Economic safety nets are robust and proactive, preventing any individual from falling into extreme poverty.
• The primary measure of the economy’s success is how well the economy serves the people.