Can the Government Actually Do Anything About
Inequality?
……
The four political scientists offer
five “possible reasons why the U.S. political system has, during the last few
decades, failed to counterbalance rising inequality”:
- An
intellectual and ideological shift within both political parties toward
“acceptance of a form of free market capitalism which, among other
characteristics, offers less support for government provision of transfers,
lower marginal tax rates for those with high incomes, and deregulation of
a number of industries. Financial deregulation, in particular, has been a
source of income inequality.”
- “Immigration
and low turnout of the poor have combined to make the distribution of
voters more weighted to high incomes than is the distribution of
households. Turnout, of course, can also be influenced by legal and
administrative measures that make it relatively costly for the poor to
vote.
- “Rising
real income and wealth has made a larger fraction of the population less
attracted to turning to government for social insurance.”
- “The
rich have been able to use their resources to influence electoral,
legislative, and regulatory processes through campaign contributions,
lobbying, and revolving door employment of politicians and bureaucrats.”
- “The
political process is distorted by institutions like gerrymandering that
reduce the accountability of elected officials to the majority. Other
political institutions, including a bicameral legislature with a
filibuster, combine with political polarization to create policy gridlock,
which in turn inhibits efforts to update social safety nets and regulatory
frameworks in response to changing conditions.”
….
Inequality appears to liberals and many
others to be palpably wrong. But conservative and liberals often find
themselves in agreement that inequality in and of itself may not be the issue —
it’s the way it is deepening
and spreading and the small size of the group to whom the benefits are
accruing that worries people most. Inequality exists in democracies and
non-democracies alike; it clearly stems from multiple causes. But “the question
for public policy,” as Greg Mankiw puts it, is “what, if anything, to do about
it.”
Comments:
Hugh Murray
- Milwaukee
Can the government do anything about
inequality? Yes. But first, who are we speaking of? Shoud the US try to make
the salaries of those in Kenya equal to those in Detroit? Or NYC? Though all
are endowed with certain inalienable rights, equal pay is not one of them. We
should worry first about American citizens. Flooding the US with millions of invaders
for decades has greatly reduced the wages of the poor. Deport the millions of
invaders (illegal immigrants), and with supply and demand, wages of the poor
would rise. This is the immigration reform most Americans would favor. But big
money, especially from liberal foundations, makes discussion of the invaders a
taboo subject. Also, the invaders affect not only the wages of poor Blacks.
Because millions of the invaders are Hispanic or even Black, they may receive
affirmative action preferences in applying for univ., for winning a
scholarship, getting a job, or being awarded a promotion. The millions of
invaders make inequality greater in the US and widen the gap between rich and
poor.
Of course, many are poor because they reside in crime-ridden neighborhoods, where one may have to pay more for groceries (because of theft), or for dry cleaning (to place your clothing through the bullet-proof window), or because you are robbed. To increase equality, execute murderers in the neighborhood; severely punish the thieves, etc. Liberals have it all wrong; poverty does not cause crime - crime causes poverty.
Of course, many are poor because they reside in crime-ridden neighborhoods, where one may have to pay more for groceries (because of theft), or for dry cleaning (to place your clothing through the bullet-proof window), or because you are robbed. To increase equality, execute murderers in the neighborhood; severely punish the thieves, etc. Liberals have it all wrong; poverty does not cause crime - crime causes poverty.
- Sept.
10, 2013 at 11:57 p.m.
- Recommended1
- Einstein
- America
- Verified
You are blaming the inequality on
'illegal' immigrants?
How ridiculous and absurd.
How many great paying jobs are 'illegal' immigrants are taking away when it is not even legal for them to work? Many 'illegal' immigrants are at risk of starving to death at this very minute!
Did 'illegal' immigrants cause the bank bailouts?
Did 'illegal' immigrants cause our jobs to be outsourced overseas?
Let's talk about the real inequality.
Are 'illegal'immigrants being paid million dollar bonuses?
How many multi-billionaire 'illegal ' immigrants are there?
Your assertions are absurd.
How ridiculous and absurd.
How many great paying jobs are 'illegal' immigrants are taking away when it is not even legal for them to work? Many 'illegal' immigrants are at risk of starving to death at this very minute!
Did 'illegal' immigrants cause the bank bailouts?
Did 'illegal' immigrants cause our jobs to be outsourced overseas?
Let's talk about the real inequality.
Are 'illegal'immigrants being paid million dollar bonuses?
How many multi-billionaire 'illegal ' immigrants are there?
Your assertions are absurd.
- Sept. 11, 2013 at 12:20 a.m.
- Recommended35
- Len Charlap
- Princeton, MJ
Hugh - Your comment contains no data or refernces,
perhaps because what you say has been shown to be false over and over again. Put
"effect of immigration on the economy" into google and scan some of
the results. For example:
"The last few years have witnessed a burst in economic research showing the strongly positive net impacts of immigration in general and comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) in particular. Broad agreement has emerged as to not only the net economic and fiscal benefits of immigration and CIR, but the acceleration of those benefits over time."
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/adding-it-accurately-gauging...
"The last few years have witnessed a burst in economic research showing the strongly positive net impacts of immigration in general and comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) in particular. Broad agreement has emerged as to not only the net economic and fiscal benefits of immigration and CIR, but the acceleration of those benefits over time."
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/adding-it-accurately-gauging...
- Sept. 11, 2013 at 7:04 a.m.
- Recommended9
- D Flinchum
- Blacksburg, VA
It depends upon what you call great paying.
Two jobs that used to be decent paying jobs for folks without a college education were meatpacking and construction. You'd not get rich but they afforded a middle-class life.
Thanks to the influx of cheap foreign labor - legal & illegal, these jobs have largely been destroyed. Meatpacking pays about half what it did in the 80's; and during the housing boom, construction wages actually fell, both because of the law of supply and demand, which wasn't passed by Congress but simply is, like the law of gravity. Also both of these jobs were largely union before it became possible to replace union workers with cheap foreign labor.
Anybody who doesn't 'get' the effect that greatly increasing the labor pool has on wages must have never had to actually hunt for a job under competitive conditions.
Two jobs that used to be decent paying jobs for folks without a college education were meatpacking and construction. You'd not get rich but they afforded a middle-class life.
Thanks to the influx of cheap foreign labor - legal & illegal, these jobs have largely been destroyed. Meatpacking pays about half what it did in the 80's; and during the housing boom, construction wages actually fell, both because of the law of supply and demand, which wasn't passed by Congress but simply is, like the law of gravity. Also both of these jobs were largely union before it became possible to replace union workers with cheap foreign labor.
Anybody who doesn't 'get' the effect that greatly increasing the labor pool has on wages must have never had to actually hunt for a job under competitive conditions.
- Sept. 11, 2013 at 7:50 a.m.
- Recommended5
- Hugh Murray
- Milwaukee
Einstein worries about outsourcing our jobs
overseas. However, with millions of illegals, we "outsource" American
jobs internally. Every illegal who has a job deprives an American citizen of
that job. And every illegal who has no job, is a drain on the welfare or
criminal justice system which American citizens must support.
Millions more competing for jobs has utterly depressed wages. That is why America labor, for about a century, opposed illegal immigration and favored restricted legal immigration. But the labor movement abandoned the American citizens and caved over a decade ago. Is it even an American labor movement today?
Millions more competing for jobs has utterly depressed wages. That is why America labor, for about a century, opposed illegal immigration and favored restricted legal immigration. But the labor movement abandoned the American citizens and caved over a decade ago. Is it even an American labor movement today?
- Sept. 11, 2013 at 2:26 p.m.
- Recommended1
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