Workers of the World, Revise!
The social contract governments have made with their citizens is failing. It’s time to write a new one.
Workers deserve a new social contract.
Photographer: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images
We are living in an age of insecurity, with the values of the global liberal order under fire despite the progress they’ve delivered for the vast majority of people. The rise of populism in politics, fears over slowing economic progress in advanced economies, and worsening prospects for future generations, as well as mounting evidence of declining subjective well-being and trust in many countries, are all expressions of this. Those who don’t feel they’ve benefited from the current order are understandably agitating to change it.
Central to this task are measures to ensure our economies are fairer. While globalization has meant the world has become more equal between nations — with many poor countries having seen huge progress in recent decades — it’s also exacerbated inequalities within advanced economies particularly.