Economic Justice SP11

Economic Justice

Economic Justice, which impacts the individual as well as the collective society, deals with the moral and ethical principles that serve as a guiding framework when developing economic institutions that establish the earnings and distributive nature of the economic system. According to Louis Ortho Kelso and Mortimer J. Adler in their work titled The Capitalist Manifesto, there are three guiding principles that serve as determinants of economic justice: 1) The Principle of distribution, 2) The Principle of Participation, and 3) The Principle of Limitation[1].

Kelso and Mortimer emphasize that the acquisition of economic justice relies on the basis of respecting property rights by acknowledging that each individual and household has a “natural human right to participate in the production of wealth through the ownership and application of productive property”[2]. Achieved through labor or capital, it becomes imperative to earn an income to a degree sufficient that any individual or household lives a decent standard of living. To be “just” in an economic system signifies to organize the production and distribution of wealth in such a manner in which all human rights are fully respected. A collection of rights that reinstates that everyone is entitled to receive their share of wealth that they produced and direct involvement in the production process through the accumulation of property[3]. Lastly, since everyone is entitled the right of property through the production as means of earning a substantial living, the distribution of wealth and the means of production cannot be so concentrated to such a degree that it essentially excludes others from having the equal opportunity to participate in the production of wealth and the capacity of earning for themselves a viable income.

Because the concept of justice within the economic system is intrinsically perceived as the equitable accessibility and allocation of wealth and the ultimate purpose of justice is to elevate the dignity and sovereignty of every individual, economic justice, is essentially materialized through social justice. Social justice serves as a guiding framework of developing organized social institutions that provide collective society with access and tools necessary to incite personal and social development[4].

Organizations for Economic Justice

United for a Fair Economy (UFE)

United for a Fair Economy (UFE) was established in 1995 by Chuck Collins and Felice Yeskel in order to highlight the uneven distribution of wealth across the United States. Since then, the Boston based organization has made it their mission to raise awareness about the concentration of wealth and power that they believe undermines the economy, corrupts democracy, deepens the racial divide, and tears communities apart. They wish to help support and help build social movements for greater equality and equal opportunity so that prosperity and profits are better shared. This would prevent those with concentrations of money and corporations from dominating the economy. In a more broad sense, United for a Fair Economy wants citizens to use their human and moral values to guide economic decisions. While UFE has been guided by this vision and mission, they have established a number of goals and projects to help accomplish their ultimate goal of economic equality and justice <ref>About UFE.</ref>.

In United for a Fair Economy’s Annual Report 2009-2010, they establish their goals of closing the division of wealth, changing tax legislation that unfairly benefits the wealthy, spotlighting the role of race in economic inequality, and “to serve as a forum where different races, different cultures, and people with varying degrees of wealth can come together to work for economic justice." <ref name="foo">UFE's 2010 Annual Report</ref> These goals have all been implemented in five core projects that focus on economic inequalities of financial reform, CEO pay, foreclosures, and immigration issues. The projects are: Popular Economics Education, Federal Tax/Federal Estate, Responsible Wealth (RW), Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative (TFOC), and Racial Wealth Divide. More specifically, these projects help educate and move people to action through workshops and state-wide grassroots on issues of our economic system, taxes, and wealth barriers. They have brought together hundreds of business leaders to advocate for fair estate taxes in addition to providing resources that help color communities understand wealth-building strategies that can improve their economic stability and economic equality. <ref name="foo">UFE's 2010 Annual Report</ref>

The mission, vision, goals, and projects established by United for a Fair Economy are consistent with the ideals of social justice established above and are similar in ways to the reforms and ideals advocated and expressed by Alperovitz, Domhoff, and Yates. Alperovitz in his novel, America Beyond Capitalism, states that America is in trouble due to the increased inequality in society, the “erosion of liberty”, and the concerns about the U.S. federal budget crisis . He asks what would be necessary to create a society with equality, liberty, and democracy if our current system collapsed. <ref name="loo">Alperovitz, Gar.</ref> He later answers this question, stating that a plural commonwealth would replace corporate control with a new institution of ownership and would ultimately shift the economy from corporate control to public control. As soon as this happens, further changes would likely follow. In a way UFE is doing just that through their projects that educate citizens about current disparities and that provide citizens with the knowledge and resources necessary to start a social movement against the current economic system. UFE along with other organizations seek to influence people and politics. If they get what they want then an estate tax will be reestablished and taxes will increase on the wealthier families and individuals. This will theoretically lead to increased wealth for the average citizen. Also, if color communities use the resources provided by UFE’s Racial Wealth Divide project then they will be able to attain great economic equality.

This all relates to Domhoff’s argument in Who Rules America that there is an existence of an upper class that controls the majority of the power and influence in the United States.<ref name="dom">Domhoff, G. William.</ref> UFE is trying to decrease the social inequality between the current upper class and the rest of America by lobbying for increased tax rates on wealthy individuals and by providing resources for color communities and low income families to help them gain greater economic stability. Also, UFE is structured similarly to a union which Yates describes in his book, Why Unions Matter, is crucial to bringing workers together across the divides of race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. <ref name="yat">Yates, Micheal.</ref> UFE is doing exactly that by bringing them together, educating them, and fighting for social equality.

Despite UFE’s strong goals, vision, and structure it will be hard for them to truly ever reach their goals because of the capitalist structure of our economy. UFE depends heavily on donations, which are often made by wealthy individuals or corporations. They also depend heavily on media coverage to get their programs, projects, and beliefs out to the public eye. As Domhoff describes, however, the media is controlled by the power elite as well. This will limit UFE in the long-run because corporations and wealthy individual who control the major media outlets will decide when and how much should be publicized. If UFE pushes too hard they may find that no major media outlet will publish their stories.

Jobs with Justice

Jobs With Justice (JwJ) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. and founded in 1987 with the purpose of organizing workers and allies across the nation to join coalition movements in the struggle for economic and social justice; to make this struggle as one struggle towards a more equitable society. This organization accomplishes its mission by using strategies such as long-term multi-issue coalition building, grassroots base-building and organizing and strategic militant action [5] Through these approaches, JwJ creates grassroots movements that include workers, unions, communities, and other organizations who are committed to taking the JwJ Pledge: “Be There at least five times a year for someone else’s struggle as well as their own.”

In America Beyond Capitalism by Gar Alperovitz he envisions long-term change in the American society as necessary in order for our democracy to be sustainable. Under our current system society is destined to crash; however, Alperovitz is optimistic about people taking the lead to become agents for change. It is important for citizens to realize that a shift from corporate control to public control serves as a starting point. The goals and objectives JwJ achieves are in line with Alperovitz vision because JwJ is engaging people from different sectors to work towards a long-term plan. By maintaining strong commitment from its members, encouraging active participation, and mobilizing the masses, JwJ fights back against corporate elites to regain control of workers’ rights. As a result, JwJ is a community of autonomous people who are fighting to gain “the material foundation of their liberty,” as Alperovitz would argue.

In Domhoff’s book Who Rules America, he argues that power elite members of a corporate community dominate and have exclusivity over the corporate, political, and social aspects in our economy. In contrast, in Why Unions Matter by Michael Yates, he studies the Labor Movement and ways it has challenged corporations through the creation of labor unions and the mobilization of workers. JwJ is fighting back against corporations owned by the power elite by challenging hostile bosses and supporting unions through JwJ’s coalitions to defend and ensure that long-term goals are achieved.

As stated in their website, JwJ yields the following results:

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Over 40 JwJ Coalitions in the U.S. (in blue)

"In 2009, local coalitions worked on a total of 111 workplace justice campaigns affecting more than 135,000 workers. Jobs with Justice coalitions worked on 130 community campaigns on issues like health care, immigrants’ rights, global justice, accountable development, state minimum wage increases, and sweat-free ordinances. JwJ coalitions were the primary coordinators for 70% of these campaigns."[6]

JwJ is mobilizing human resources and achieving the results listed above. As presented to the reader in Understanding Capitalism by Bowles, Edwards, & Roosevelt, capitalism is a dynamic system and one way to organanize production and distribution that may or may not be consistent with efficiency, fairness and democracy. The goals and objectives of JwJ are inconsistent with the way capitalism is structured and the results it yields. For that reason, although JwJ is promoting democratic goals such as civic engagement and social justice, it is going to be an uphill battle due to the conflicting nature of capitalism between the workers and the capitalist.

JwJ is consistent with the ideals of social justice discussed in the course because they understand and are trying to accomplish for the workers what they would otherwise be denied under the capitalist system.Social justice encompasses the following: the establishment of just relationships at all system levels, the creation of institutions that warrant equal opportunity, the access to valuable resources and services by all, and the active engagement in the decision-making process by all members of a society. JwJ is working and building just relationships between differents groups in our society by taking stand on issues that matter to them.

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States and is the U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International. It was founded in 1982 when the New American Movement (NAM) and the Democratic Socialists Organizing Committee (DSOC) merged together. Upon its founding Michael Harrington and Barbara Ehrenreich were elected as co-chairs of the new organization, while Frank Llewellyn is currently the organization’s National Director. DSA is currently trying to create progressive movements for social change and is working to make socialism present in American communities and politics. Its goals are clearly consistent with the ideals of economic and social justices that are discussed above. According to their website, they are “activists committed not only to extending political democracy but to demanding democratic empowerment in the economy, in gender relations, and in culture." <ref name="dsa">Democratic Socialists of America.</ref>

DSA's Logo

Like Alperovitz who is concerned about the erosion of liberty and decreasing freedoms in America, the Democratic Socialists of America seek “a vision of a more free, democratic, and humane society.” In Alperovitz book, America Beyond Capitalism, he expresses what he believes will be necessary to create a society of equality, liberty, and democracy.<ref name="loo">Alperovitz, Gar.</ref> The DSA holds a similar position stating that they are socialists because they “share a vision of a humane international social order based both on democratic planning and market mechanisms to achieve equitable distribution of resources, meaningful work, a healthy environment, sustainable growth, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships.” <ref name="dsa">Democratic Socialists of America.</ref>

DSA also shares similarities to Domhoff’s argument in Who Rules America that there is an existence of an upper class that controls the majority of the power and influence in the United States.<ref name="dom">Domhoff, G. William.</ref> DSA understands these inequalities and has rejected the international economic ordered that exists and gives advantages to those making considerable private profits through alienated labor and race and gender discrimination. They also reject any environmental destruction and the use of brutality and violence in defense of status quo.<ref name="dsa">Democratic Socialists of America.</ref> Lastly, the DSA has similarities to Unions, which Yates discusses in Why Unions Matter.<ref name="yat">Yates, Micheal.</ref> Democratic Socialists of America continually educates people about social inequalities and pushes reforms in legislation in order to make changes, which are both things unions emphasize. In a way, both unions and DSA push agendas that benefit citizens so that they are treated with more social equality and justice.

Democratic Socialists of America has been successful over the last several decades due to strong leadership and membership commitment but in doing so has had to overcome a number of issue related to the structure of our capitalistic society in which owners (capitalist) dictate what legislation is passed and what is published through media outlets. These obstacles will continue to exist for both DSA and other similar organizations if changes are not made to society. If they are going to do so they will need to be efficient, fair, and democratic all at the same time.

Political economics such as Bowles, Edwards, and Roosevelt write that in order to be both fair and democratic an organization needs a democratic system in which people are guaranteed civil rights and suffer the burdens and enjoy the benefits equally no matter what race, sex, or age. Lastly, Bowles, Edwards, and Roosevelt write that an organization needs to be efficient so that labor and inputs are used well rather than wasted.<ref>Bowles, Samuel, Richard Edwards, and Frank Roosevelt.</ref> While DSA meets some of these criteria they will need to drastically improve their efficiency in order to be successful. Otherwise, they will not meet their goals. If DSA improves its efficiency, than it will most likely be able to overcome the obstacles of capitalism in the long-run. In order for this to happen, however, changes will have to start immediately at the local levels before working their way up to a national scale.

Class Action

Class Action is a non-profit organization that was founded to inspire a movement to combat classism. By effectively raising awareness of the concerns surrounding class at a local and national level, Jennifer and Felice Yeskel established Class Action in 2004. Serving as an analytical structure, it provides a safe space that incites people of diverse backgrounds to collectively come together and engage in conversation that identifies and examines the issues concerning the tabooed topics of class and classism. Achieved through a variety of interactive organizational consulting, workshops, training, and public awareness that focus “on high-impact, systemic change in key areas of critical influence: education, philanthropy, race and class intersections, and social change”[7] is Class Action a catalyst for dismantling the issue of classism in communities across the United States.

What Class Action Does

• Help individuals develop class awareness and a class lens,
• Explore race and class intersections,
• Address class barriers and class privilege,
• Build bridges across the class divide, and
• Help institutions become more equitable,
• Promote economic justice.[8]

Class is defined as the “relative social rank in terms of income, wealth, education, status and/or power”[9]. In this given framework classism is characterized as the systematic allocation of worth and differential treatment relied upon the basis of perception of their social class. Operating within a polarized income and wealth distribution system, classism thrives under government policies and social practices that function to preserve and benefit those of a privileged social class at the cost of less class-privileged. In his book America Beyond Capitalism, Gar Alperovitz reflects upon the escalating inequality and erosion of civil liberties that are defined as being detrimental to the American democracy. The growing concentration of wealth could be opposed by devising and implementing innovative models and policies aimed at more equitably distributing ownership of wealth amongst individuals, workers and communities. This concept is in tune with Class Actions goal of mobilizing “people across the class spectrum to change a system that is at odds with basic democratic values of equity, justice and liberty for all”.

In his book Who Rules America?, William Domhoff, proposes the argument that because in the United States the upper class is closely interconnected with the corporate community their ability to transform economic power into status power reflects that there is no real separation between class and corporate power. As a result such members of the affluent class are notably involved in the control and ownership of wealth and income manipulation.Because class is so pervasive to the American experience it is Class Action goal to bring the issues surrounding class and classism to the forefront of public discussion as a means of raising awareness. Through the Development of a collective conscious will necessary language and ideology is raised to inspire people across the “class spectrum to move to change a system that is at odds with basic democratic values of equity, justice and liberty for all”[10].William Yates also stressed the importance of generating a collective action in his book Why Unions Matter? He argues that movements should take the forefront in leading social struggles to advance the interests of the majority. Inciting a pluralistic movement will generate a class consciousness that will reflect a common struggle towards multifaceted levels of equality.Class Action believes that the oppression instilled by classism can be countered through the dissemination of information that will ultimately change the nature and structure of institutions that preserve oppression. A type of action that is materialized through: 1. Self-Awareness and Class Consciousness Raising, 2. Individual Action and Choices, 3. Challenging and Changing Classism in Organizations, and 4. Public and Political Action to Change Classist Policies and Practices[11].

In an economic system that constantly strives to achieve the greatest rate of return at the cost of the general wellbeing of the masses, the initial steps at uprooting classism and addressing the institutional cause of class inequality can be a difficult task to achieve. Being placed in this disadvantage has propelled Class Action to devise a set of strategies that will jumpstart a collective movement against classism. By increasing staff diversity, through “pay arrangements, work hours, and benefits”[12], will institution and organization become more attractive to a working force of greater diversity. Through identifying cultural prejudice and structural hindrances can Class Action develop the formation of an inclusive leadership.

Class Action identifies and acknowledges the intricacy and significance between wealth, privilege, and power. Having class privilege, male privilege, white privilege, and heterosexual privilege places the top percent of affluent America in a position of luxury that generates a lack of awareness in regards to possessing class conscious. They do not find themselves in situations that necessarily require them to become aware of their own class identity. It is imperative to denote that one’s class and socioeconomic background heavily impact a person’s values, beliefs, expectations and how they view the world. It is Class Actions goal to incite a conscious effort to think about class privilege and the effects of classism.

Campaign for America's Future

Campaign for America's Furture (CAF) is an organization that challenges the corporate agenda and advances a progressive economic agenda. CAF's vision is forming an inclusive American society with equal opportunity for all as its foundation. It aims to educate, organize, mobilize, and sponsor campaigns with the support of organizations, think-tanks and most important, working class people who feel dissatisfied with the conservative agenda and want a more progressive stance on issues that affect them directly. By teaming up with other organizations such as Progressive Punch to run campaigns like TheMiddleClass.org, they disseminate information to the public on bills that are up for a vote in congress that would positively or negatively affect middle-class workers.

The CAF and Alperovitz’s ideas rest on the same premise that society has a high level of injustices, has reached its limit, and unless change is underway, our economy will only worsen. However, this serves as the starting point where individuals will begin to take action and find ways to achieve social justice. The CAF lists pressing issues that affect our everyday lives such as our involvement in different wars abroad, budget deficits, unchecked global corporate power, and global warming as the steppingstone towards civic engagement for a better future. Despite a pessimistic view of our society, the CAF, like Alperovitz, believe in grassroots economic alternatives that, if successfully carried out in our communities, have the potential to yield greater economic and social justice.

Domhoff and Yates would agree that an organization such as CAF is addressing the root causes of the injustices society is being faced with by challenging the politics that protect corporations and those who run it. Domhoff would point out that a progressive movement will encounter difficulties and challenges from our country's two-party system. As evidenced in Domhoff's book, a liberal and more progressive agenda would not bring greater equality due to the fact that the majority of the politicians who represent it are also members of the power elite. However, the Liberal-Labor coalition is an example given by Domhoff to show the extent in which economic justice must have political support in order to be advanced. Domhoff's research shows that some government officials are not sympathetic of the power elite, therefore, having the support of our elected officials is imperative.

However, in overcoming the shortcomings of capitalism in terms of efficiency, fairness, and democracy, like every other economic justice organization, the CAF will encounter difficulties in challenging the structure of the capitalist system. One important aspect of capitalism is profit-making. Profits are means that allow a capitalist firm to make investments that will keep the firm from being out-competed by other firms. In the political economic view, profits represent the surplus product of a society. The owners of the surplus product are the capitalists who are in control of the means of production, the labor process, and the distribution of this surplus. Because politicians are often lobbied by the power elite, the CAF would need to build a coalition strong enough to not only pressure our elected officials, but also replace those who are not progressive. Taking away the power and wealth concentrated in the hands of a few will prove require a lot of effort.

What the CAF is trying to accomplish is consistent with what was learned in the classroom because they have a defined purpose of what it is that the want to accomplish by running different projects to implement and create social change. The way capitalism is structured creates a class-based society which maintains the owners of the means of production in control of the working class. The CAF is reaching out to the working class to bring them on board with their mission and change the conservative agenda that is depriving them of equal access to different kinds of resources.

See Also

National and International Worker Justice and Democracy Groups

• Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ)
• Working America
• American Rights at Work
• North American Alliance for Fair Employment (NAFFE)
• National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON)

• International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF)
• STITCH: Women Organizing for Worker Justice
• Grassroots Global Justice
• Social Accountability International (SAI)

Anti-Poverty and Low Income Housing Groups

• Coalition on Human Needs (CHN)
• Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC)
• National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)
• National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ)

Employment Groups

• National Jobs for All Coalition (NJFAC)
• National Employment Law Project (NELP)
• The Workforce Alliance (TWA)
• Workforce Strategies Initiative (WSI) of the Aspen Institute

Economic Justice Groups

• Campaign for America’s Future
• Resource Generation
• Opportunity Agenda
• United for a Fair Economy (UFE)

Anti-Corporate Domination Groups

• Alliance for Democracy (AfD)
• Corporate Accountability International (CAI)
• U.S. Trade Justice Campaign
• Reclaim Democracy!

Progressive Economic Research Groups

• Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN)
• Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
• Center for Full Employment and Price Stability (CFEPS)
• Community-Wealth.org

Progressive Tax Groups

• Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ)
• Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS)

Consumer Protection Groups

• Consumers Union (CU)
• Consumer Federation of America (CFA)
• Food & Water Watch
• Public Citizen

Socially Responsible Business Groups

• Green America
• As You Sow
• Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
• Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)

Worker Ownership Groups

• US Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC)
• National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)[13]

Notes

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References

• "About JWJ" | Justice for Jobs." Home | Justice for Jobs. 9 May 2011. <http://jwj.org/about/index.html>.

• "About UFE" | United for a Fair Economy." Home | United for a Fair Economy. 10 May 2011. <http://faireconomy.org/about_ufe>.

• Alperovitz, Gar. America beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley, 2005.

• Bowles, Samuel, Richard Edwards, and Frank Roosevelt. Understanding Capitalism: Competition, Command, and Change. New York: Oxford UP, 2005.

• "Class Action" 11 May 2011. <http://www.classism.org/>.

• "Center for Economic and Social Justice" 10 May 2011. <http://www.cesj.org/thirdway/economicjustice-defined.htm>.

• Democratic Socialists of America. 10 May 2011. <http://www.dsausa.org/about/index.html>.

• Domhoff, G. William. Who Rules America?: Challenges to Corporate and Class Dominance. Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2010.

• "Progressive Punch" 10 May 2011. <http://progressivepunch.org/>

• "Resource Generation" 10 May 2011. <http://www.resourcegeneration.org/>.

• "Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy" 10 May 2011. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/economic-justice/>

• "Start" 11 May 2011. <http://www.startguide.org/orgs/orgs04.html>

• "The Capitalist Manifesto" 11 May 2011. <http://www.kelsoinstitute.org/pdf/cm-entire.pdf>

• "The Middle Class Campaign." 10 May 2011. <http://themiddleclass.org/>.

• "UFE's 2010 Annual Report | United for a Fair Economy." Home | United for a Fair Economy. 10 May 2011. <http://faireconomy.org/annual_report/2010>.

• Yates, Michael. Why Unions Matter. New York: Monthly Review, 2009.