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312.565.9431
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info@cflinitiative.org
A research & policy lab – grounded in community voice – that seeks to advance bold solutions to reduce economic inequality in America
Economic Inequality In America Is Larger Than It Has Been In A Century
- CEO earnings – In 1965, CEOs earned 21x more than the average worker. In 2023, they earned 290x more than the typical worker (Economic Policy Institute).
- No earnings growth for ½ of American workers in nearly 40 years– From 1980 – 2014; average wages grew by 61% (controlling for inflation); but the bottom 50% of earners saw no increase (Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez & Gabriel Zucman).
- The top 1% is hoarding wealth like rarely before – In 1960s, the top 1% and bottom 90% of households held nearly equal amounts of wealth. By 2016; the top 1% owned twice as much as the bottom 90% (Washington Post).
Rising Economic Inequality Threatens Our Nation On Multiple Fronts
- Economic Immobility and Precarity – When paired with rising costs on basic needs (food, housing, health care, transportation); flat incomes are squeezing lower-income and middle-class families leaving them with few resources to respond to an emergency or invest in their futures (BLS 1999 & BLS 2018).
- Lower Public Health and Social Welfare Outcomes – Research shows that higher income inequality correlates with higher murder rates, greater incarceration, and lower life expectancy (Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett).
- Lower Democratic Engagement and a Fraying Civic Infrastructure -When inequality increases, social cohesion and democratic participation go down. People have less trust for their fellow citizens and less trust for the institutions that govern their lives (Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett). They also participate in democracy less (Frederick Solt). Researchers also found a positive association between income or wealth gaps and democratic erosion across more than 100 distinct statistical models (Eli G. Rau & Susan Stokes). This could help explain the dramatically lower voting participation recently (The United States had roughly 3,000,000 fewer presidential voters in 2024 than in 2020).
“We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.”
Operating Model
The traditional model for debating economic justice holds steady the presumption that profits accrue to private shareholders and society can use the levers of wages, taxes, and philanthropy to advance economic justice.
But what if we revisited the traditional model that presumes only private shareholders have a claim to profits?
The Reimagining Capitalism Lab seeks to advance policies which acknowledge the interconnectedness of a broader array of participants in profit creation. We aim to promote policies which give a broader set of participants (workers, community members, citizens) a claim to a share of profits.
REIMAGINING CAPITALISM
Changing the narrative about: (a) who has an ownership claim to American prosperity and (b) therefore a rights-based claim to a share of American wealth.
Action Framework
The Reimagining Capitalism Lab is generously incubated at The Chicago Federation of Labor Workforce & Community Initiative, a 501(c)3. As such the Lab engages in research, education, and outreach. The Lab does not engage in partisan, electoral, or lobbying activities.
Our Founder
Brian C. Johnson – For 25 years, Brian C. Johnson has been a leader in advancing concrete social justice change. As the CEO of Equality Illinois for nearly a decade, he led the passage of over 25 laws and regulatory changes to make Illinois one of the most queer affirming states in the country. He has also led teams who have achieved policy wins for teachers, students, and families across the country from Los Angeles to Charlotte to Washington DC. He is the author of Our Fair Share: How One Small Change Can Create a More Equitable American Economy which the Chicago Tribune called “clear and compelling.” Brian earned his AB magna cum laude from Princeton University, his JD from Stanford Law School, and his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.
To learn more about the Reimagining Capitalism Lab email Brian C. Johnson at bjohnson@cflinitiative.org
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The Chicago Federation of Labor Workforce & Community Initiative works to strengthen the income, health, and training of working people to create a pathway to the middle class and support stronger communities in the Chicagoland region.