Equality as the Core Value of Public Policy: A Multidisciplinary Argument
A recent working paper from the Institute for New Economic Thinking posits that public policy should prioritize equality. Written by Mark Glick, Gabriel Lozada, and Darren Bush, the study incorporates insights from evolutionary biology, anthropology, moral philosophy, epidemiology, and economic history, illustrating that humans inherently value fairness. It finds that societies with greater equality excel in well-being, trust, and economic performance. The authors dismiss the notion of a tradeoff between equity and efficiency, presenting evidence from historical and cross-national analyses that link reduced inequality to enhanced growth. They recommend implementing policies like universal healthcare, progressive taxation, and strong antitrust measures.
Key facts
- Paper published by Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET).
- Authors: Mark Glick (University of Utah), Gabriel Lozada (University of Utah), Darren Bush (University of Houston Law Center).
- Argues equality should be primary goal of public policy.
- Draws on evolutionary biology, anthropology, moral philosophy, epidemiology, economic history.
- Rejects equity-efficiency tradeoff; cites OECD and IMF research.
- References Easterlin Paradox: US happiness flat since 1946 despite GDP growth.
- Criticizes Neoclassical economics for ignoring distributional concerns.
- Advocates universal healthcare, educational equity, progressive taxation, antitrust enforcement.
Entities
Institutions
- Institute for New Economic Thinking
- University of Utah
- University of Houston Law Center
- OECD
- IMF
Locations
- United States