Topics with Tag: Economics

Capitalism vs. Democratic Socialism
As Winston Churchill said of democracy, we could say that capitalism is the worst economic system, except for all the others. A few prominent American politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez identify themselves as Democratic Socialists, but what exactly is this system, and is it really better than capitalism?
Economic Systems
Economic systems organize how resources get allocated: who will be wealthy, who will be poor, and who gets to make important decisions about wealth distribution. They also indirectly influence our moral perception of wealth. Capitalism, socialism, communism, another? Which economic system is most conducive to producing the kind of society that we want to live in?
Should there be Billionaires?
Should a person be entitled to keep whatever money they earn, or do the wealthy have a responsibility to pay back into the society that facilitated their wealth? Should economics be viewed as a system for earning individual wealth or for generating collective wealth and building a productive society? Have we reached the point where the wealth gap threatens the health of our society?
Universal Basic Income
Universal Basic Income or UBI is a program that provides regular sums of money to all citizens (or all adult citizens) of a country, regardless of financial situation. It is similar to welfare, however welfare is given only to citizens who meet certain conditions, whereas UBI is universal. Do you think UBI would help or hinder our society?
The Housing Crisis
Housing is recognized as one of the three essentials of life, along with food and video streaming services. But this essential resource is becoming harder and harder to acquire as the cost of real estate and rent has increased dramatically over the past decades, while median incomes have mostly stagnated. What interventions could solve the housing crisis and what might be the secondary effects?