America’s greatest domestic problem is its growing social divide. Researchers from across the political spectrum — most prominently Charles Murray andRobert Putnam — have observed with concern the widening gap between more- and less-educated Americans, as evidenced by indicators of social well-being, including marriage, parenting, employment, crime, civic engagement and basic trust.
The gap emerges not from changing economic conditions at the top but rather from a catastrophic social collapse at the bottom, one that shows no sign of slowing. This collapse threatens to permanently split American society into groups of haves and have-nots, the latter lacking strong families and tightly knit communities that endow children with the discipline and responsibility they need to navigate life.
Because this gap in social welfare correlates closely with a gap in income, the two are often seen as the same problem. Policymakers focus on increasing economic resources for low-income households, hoping to close the divide. But that conflation is a mistake and leads to counterproductive proposals — such as universal basic income.
Social inequality and income inequality are simply not the same thing. Historically, the two have not been closely linked — in the past, Americans across classes enjoyed remarkably similar levels of social well-being: universally high marriage and labor force participation rates led to the formation of stable, two-parent families with stable employment. And there is little evidence that today’s social collapse stems from economic woes — in recent decades, the poverty rate has held steady and living standards for those defined as poor have improved dramatically, even as indicators of family formation, full-time work and community health eroded rapidly.
For several reasons, it is social inequality that should remain the focus of any effort to better society. First, because in social terms the fortunes of many Americans are truly declining, not just failing to rise as quickly as in other groups. Second, unlike income inequality, gaping social inequality threatens to dramatically curtail opportunity for future generations. And third, our social collapse shows signs of spiraling out of control, with each generation worse off than the one before. While economic progress tends to ebb and flow with the business cycle, present social trends point toward permanent decline.
Some approaches might constructively engage both social and economic challenges, but the basic income does not. It moves policy in precisely the wrong direction, focusing virtually all government resources on material well-being at the cost of devaluing labor, and eliminating the social stigma and economic consequences associated with not working.
That approach only reinforces the ongoing decline of work, which is a critical step in the cycle of social decay.......
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...basic-income-wont-fix-americas-social-divide/
Yeap.
The gap emerges not from changing economic conditions at the top but rather from a catastrophic social collapse at the bottom, one that shows no sign of slowing. This collapse threatens to permanently split American society into groups of haves and have-nots, the latter lacking strong families and tightly knit communities that endow children with the discipline and responsibility they need to navigate life.
Because this gap in social welfare correlates closely with a gap in income, the two are often seen as the same problem. Policymakers focus on increasing economic resources for low-income households, hoping to close the divide. But that conflation is a mistake and leads to counterproductive proposals — such as universal basic income.
Social inequality and income inequality are simply not the same thing. Historically, the two have not been closely linked — in the past, Americans across classes enjoyed remarkably similar levels of social well-being: universally high marriage and labor force participation rates led to the formation of stable, two-parent families with stable employment. And there is little evidence that today’s social collapse stems from economic woes — in recent decades, the poverty rate has held steady and living standards for those defined as poor have improved dramatically, even as indicators of family formation, full-time work and community health eroded rapidly.
For several reasons, it is social inequality that should remain the focus of any effort to better society. First, because in social terms the fortunes of many Americans are truly declining, not just failing to rise as quickly as in other groups. Second, unlike income inequality, gaping social inequality threatens to dramatically curtail opportunity for future generations. And third, our social collapse shows signs of spiraling out of control, with each generation worse off than the one before. While economic progress tends to ebb and flow with the business cycle, present social trends point toward permanent decline.
Some approaches might constructively engage both social and economic challenges, but the basic income does not. It moves policy in precisely the wrong direction, focusing virtually all government resources on material well-being at the cost of devaluing labor, and eliminating the social stigma and economic consequences associated with not working.
That approach only reinforces the ongoing decline of work, which is a critical step in the cycle of social decay.......
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...basic-income-wont-fix-americas-social-divide/
Yeap.
