World Inequality Report 2026 – executive summary

“The findings are clear: inequality remains extreme and persistent; it manifests across multiple dimensions that intersect and reinforce one another; and it reshapes democracies, fragmenting coalitions and eroding political consensus. Yet the data also demonstrate that inequality can be reduced. Policies such as redistributive transfers, progressive taxation, investment in human capital, and stronger labor rights have made a difference in some contexts…”

Extreme inequality – and what to do about it – Michael Roberts

“What is missing here? There is no policy to change radically the socio-economic structure of the world economy – in effect, capitalism is to remain. The owners of capital: the banks, the energy companies, the tech media companies, big pharma, and their billionaire owners – all these are not to be taken over. Instead, we must just tax them more and governments must use the tax money to spend on investing in social needs. So the policy is one of redistribution of existing income and wealth inequality, not pre-distribution i.e changing the social structure that engenders these extreme inequalities, namely the private ownership of the means of production…”

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Fall 2025 – “Understanding Inequality” – a seven-part series by CUNY Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality scholar Paul Krugman.

Summer 2025 – New capitalism III: Capital – Branko Milanovic “Why is capital so concentrated and why so few have it?”

Also: New Capitalism in America: Richest capitalists and richest workers are increasingly the same people – Global Inequality

Branko Milanovic: The World Under Capitalism – Stone Center/Toronto Public Library

November 2024 – “A way to ensure Social Security can meet short- and long-term promises to American workers and their families: Bend the cost curve, grow revenue, and protect lower earners” – Statement to U.S. House Appropriations Committee hearing

August 2024 – Four ‘low-budget’ ways Congress can help working-class families raise more healthy and productive kids

June 2024 – Deep-rooted problems, difficult solutions: Eating away available income, the rising cost of housing is a hot point for US voters

March 2024 – “Could long-term Treasury bonds and Fed financing help close Social Security’s funding gap?” – Statement to U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing

January 2024 – Senate minimum wage bills make bipartisan compromise possible. Now for the political energy to get it done.

July 2023 – “Legislative Choices for Paying Promised Benefits Statement of Karl Polzer, Center on Capital & Social Equity” – Statement to U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing: “Protecting Social Security for All: Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share”

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July 2021 – Low Budget ‘Infrastructure’ Deal for the Bottom 50%

Social ‘infrastructure’ improvements for the working class

“Congress could do many relatively inexpensive things to improve working people’s lives. At spending levels near the bottom of what’s being now debated, all workers – including the lowest-paid — could have additional funds to raise their kids, paid sick days, more job training, and some savings for retirement and emergencies. Millions more could have higher wages and health care coverage. And millions more disabled and elderly people could move above the poverty line. Much of this could be done by modifying existing programs and policies.”

Target subsidies for families (child tax credits, daycare, college) to people most in need.

Raise the minimum wage and index it for inflation. Give states reasonable flexibility to adjust the minimum. All workers get paid sick days.
Repair and improve SSI.
Establish a universal retirement savings system.
Incentivize states to expand Medicaid. Hold Medicare spending increases to general inflation or less.
Improve Social Security benefits for the bottom 50%. Achieve long-term solvency through higher taxes mostly on the top 20%.
Improve the unemployment insurance system and job training.

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2020 Agenda: Increase economic inclusion at reasonable public cost

Raise minimum wage with annual COLA (option: give states some leeway to adjust ↓ to reflect cost of living/labor).
Five PAID sick days annually for ALL workers.
100% of Americans with health coverage by 2025 – with strong cost controls (any number of payers will work).
Universal retirement savings system with minimum $500 annual government contribution (so, all Americans own working capital, have stake in market economy).
No surprise medical bill >$500.
Cut cost of college/expand apprenticeship programs.
Improve Social Security benefits for bottom 50%. Achieve long-term solvency through higher taxes mostly on top 20%.

February 2020

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Mixing Capitalism and Socialism: Policies To Moderate Systemic Wealth Concentration in the U.S. – June 2019

Click here for essay

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America’s Inequality and What To Do About It – Spring 2018

Click here for slides

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Policy Update – Thanksgiving 2017

Just after the last federal election, the Center on Capital & Social Equity suggested that the policies below could help make the U.S. economy more inclusive and improve the lives of many citizens. One year later, we note that Congress and the Trump Administration have yet to make any progress in these areas.

Instead, those in power have focused on two major policy initiatives:

1. Reducing citizens’ access to affordable health insurance (by repealing the ACA and cutting Medicaid) and using the savings to cut taxes, primarily for the wealthy, and

2. Overhauling the tax code to provide major tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of cutting government programs serving most Americans and constricting the nation’s future options by swelling our national debt.

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Inclusive Economic Policies for Consideration

by the New President and Congress (December 2016):

Improve Social Security benefits for the lowest earners. Part of this could be financed by removing the current income cap on Social Security taxes. Raise Social Security and SSI benefits for the very old and for nursing-eligible elderly who have been receiving long term care for many years.
Create a universal retirement savings system for all workers including specified minimum contributions from the government, employers, and employees.
Raise the minimum wage to a “living wage level” based on cost of living in a state or region. The minimum wage could be raised to $12 an hour with states given the authority to adjust minimum wages (10%?) lower to account for geographic variation. States of course can always set the minimum wage higher. Most important: no matter where minimum wage levels are set, in the future they need to be adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of living. Alternative approaches include broadening the reach of the earned income tax credit and improving its take-up rate.
Initiate a major national commitment to expand job opportunity and job training:
1. Increase financial aid for low- and moderate-income people for college education and technical training. Interest rates for college and technical training loans should not exceed the overnight borrowing rate charged by the Fed by more than a reasonable amount (2 percentage points?).
2. Work with universities and colleges to improve training programs for an economy that will see increasing automation and use of computer technology.
As part of the effort above, provide citizens with an opportunity to have at least one year of paid service in federal employment in the armed services or in federally sponsored projects improving national infrastructure — or one year of training toward a career. Citizens can take this option at any point in their working lives, but must meet performance standards to receive compensation or benefits.
1. Tasks could include fixing roads, picking up trash, improving water systems, development of renewal energy infrastructure, and mitigating damage to coastline cities from rising sea levels, should this occur.
Provide business incentives to keep technology development and manufacturing jobs in the U.S.
Agree to sign the Trans-Pacific trade deal and continue support of expansive international trade only if a substantial commitment is made toward retraining displaced workers.
Control illegal immigration, not through building physical walls, but by fining and publicizing employers who repeatedly hire illegals.