Natalie Foster, President and co-founder of the Economic Security Project and author of "The Guarantee," advocates for a guaranteed economic floor for all Americans. She discusses how ensuring essentials like healthcare and housing can boost the economy. Topics include the widening wealth gap, the role of care work, and innovative ideas like baby bonds. Foster also highlights the effects of COVID-19 on economic policy, arguing that universal income may be key to a fairer, more stable society.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of middle-out economics as a necessary approach to combat rising inequality and enhance the overall economy.
It explores the concept of economic guarantees as a way to ensure basic needs like housing and healthcare for all, promoting human flourishing beyond profit motives.
Deep dives
The Case for Middle-Out Economics
A fundamental shift in economic thinking is proposed, emphasizing the necessity of middle-out economics as a solution to rising inequality and political unrest. This approach underscores that a thriving middle class is essential for the health of the overall economy, suggesting that past economic theories that prioritized wealth creation from the top down have been detrimental. The discussion indicates that the success of movements like the $15 minimum wage at state and local levels demonstrates the viability of policies aimed at supporting the middle class. It suggests that when the middle class prospers, everyone benefits, including wealthy individuals.
Redefining Economic Guarantees
The concept of economic guarantees is explored as a framework to uplift the standard of living for all citizens, advocating for a foundational economic floor that includes essential services like housing, healthcare, and education. This framework proposes the government’s proactive role in ensuring economic security across all demographic lines, arguing that such guarantees should exist to support human flourishing rather than mere profit generation. Examples include the expansion of the Child Tax Credit during the pandemic and various pilot programs for guaranteed income, illustrating practical applications of these ideas. The discussion posits that establishing such guarantees can prevent individuals from falling into financial despair.
Wealth vs. Income: Addressing Economic Disparities
The distinction between wealth and income is highlighted as crucial in addressing economic disparities, particularly regarding the racial wealth gap in America. The idea of baby bonds, which provides children with a trust fund at birth to help level the playing field, is presented as a significant policy innovation aimed at equitable wealth distribution. It suggests that access to wealth-building opportunities is as vital as increasing wages and income, especially for underprivileged communities. Drawing comparisons to existing wealth gaps, the proposal emphasizes that strategies addressing wealth accumulation can create systemic change in individual outcomes.
Harnessing Crisis for Economic Innovation
The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a reevaluation of economic policies, showcasing a unique opportunity for innovative approaches to welfare and economic security. The effectiveness of stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits during this crisis positioned the U.S. economy as resilient and adaptive, achieving the lowest poverty rates recorded. The conversation reflects on how these temporary measures provided a blueprint for longer-lasting economic reforms, challenging the notion that guaranteed income could lead to widespread work disincentivization. This perspective argues that robust government support during crises can nurture recovery and innovation in economic policy.
This week, Natalie Foster, co-founder of the Economic Security Project, joins Nick and Goldy to discuss her book The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America's Next Economy. Foster argues that as the world’s wealthiest nation, the U.S. can ensure a basic economic floor for all by guaranteeing essentials like housing, healthcare, higher education, family care, good jobs, and income, regardless of race, religion, or location. Foster explains how giving people money might just be the key to growing the economy for everyone. Their wide-ranging conversation covers topics including the wealth gap, housing affordability, baby bonds, and the political dynamics surrounding guarantee programs.
Natalie Foster is the president and co-founder of the Economic Security Project and author of the book The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy. Natalie previously founded the sharing economy community Peers, and co-founded Rebuild the Dream, and served as Digital Director for President Obama’s Organizing for America.