Promoting Economic Justice in the Face of Globalization

Abstract

This paper offers recommendations about how we can promote economic justice in the face of globalization. At the outset this paper discusses the dramatic increase in earnings and income inequality since the 1970s, about the time when globalization took off. Next, this paper considers the government's role in countering the free market's tendency to push us toward greater and greater economic inequality. Finally, this paper offers a few recommendations about how our government can promote economic justice in the face of globalization. More specifically, we should fix the tax system, reform the welfare system, restructure the Social Security system, move to a mandatory universal pension system, provide universal health care coverage, and move to full employment.

Keywords: inequality, globalization, tax, welfare, Social Security, pensions

JEL Classification: D31, D63, H20, H24, I38, J18, J31, K34, P16