The Index of Systemic Trends 2024 provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of the U.S. political economy, tracking a wide range of social, economic, and environmental trends over the past several decades. This report highlights key indicators of systemic crises affecting the U.S., including wealth inequality, racial disparities, labor conditions, and climate change. By presenting data on areas like healthcare, poverty, homeownership, and labor union density, the document paints a picture of long-term systemic challenges despite recent federal interventions. The report emphasizes the need for deep structural changes, going beyond policy reforms to address the foundational issues in the U.S. economic system.
The second edition introduces new topics such as inflation, government spending, and military expenditure. It discusses persistent inequalities and declining social mobility while comparing the U.S. with other OECD countries in areas like wealth distribution and poverty rates. The authors suggest that the U.S. is on an unsustainable path, calling for radical shifts toward a more democratic and equitable political economy.
Authors
- Pages
- 76
- Published in
- United States of America
Table of Contents
- PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2
- INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2
- SECTION I U.S. MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2
- SECTION II OUR UNEQUAL ECONOMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2
- SECTION III SOCIAL REPRODUCTION IMPACTS ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 2
- SECTION IV THE AMERICAN DREAM GETTING AHEAD OR FALLING BEHIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 2
- SECTION V LABOR VS. CAPITAL A FAIR SHARE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 2
- SECTION VI HEALTH AND WELLBEING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 2
- SECTION VII CLIMATE CHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 2
- SECTION VIII VIOLENCE AND THE CARCERAL STATE . . . . . . . . . . 50 2
- SECTION IX LEGITIMATION CRISIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 3
- SECTION X MILITARY EMPIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 3
- SECTION XI FINANCIALIZATION AND THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 3
- CONCLUSION A NEXT SYSTEM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 3
- Preface 4
- A Note on the Data 5
- Introduction 6
- Systemic Crisis and Systemic Change 7
- Section I U.S. Macroeconomic Environment 8
- Inflation and the Cost of Living 9
- Government Spending as a Share of GDP 10
- Section II Our Unequal Economy 11
- Poverty 11
- The Official U.S. Government Measure 11
- The Supplemental Poverty Measure 12
- Wealth Inequality 16
- U.S. Wealth Inequality Since 1950 17
- Racial Wealth Inequality 18
- Income Inequality 19
- Wage Stagnation 22
- Section III Social Reproduction Impacts on Women and Children 26
- Women and children do not fare particularly well to say the least under the current system of political economy in the United States. 26
- Infant Mortality Over Time 27
- Maternal Mortality 28
- Section IV The American Dream Getting Ahead or Falling Behind 29
- Education Costs 29
- Homeownership 30
- Section V Labor vs. Capital A Fair Share 32
- Shares of National Income 32
- Top Individual Tax Rate 35
- Labor Union Density 36
- Section VI Health and Wellbeing 41
- Section VII Climate Change 48
- WHILE CO EMISSIONS AROUND THE WORLD CONTINUE TO RISE IN THE UNITED STATES THEY HAVE LEVELED OFF AND BEGUN TO FALL AS A RESULT OF THE TRANSITION TOWARDS BOTH NATURAL GAS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY. 48
- Section VIII Violence and the Carceral State 50
- The Carceral State 50
- The policies enabling mass incarceration were economically motivated and had clear racist intentions. 50
- Homicide 53
- Democratic Disenfranchisement 54
- Section IX Legitimation Crisis 56
- Trust in Institutions Over Time 56
- OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES POPULAR OPINION REGARDING THE CONDITION OF DEMOCRACY HAS SHOWN A DRAMATIC DECLINE AMIDST DECAYING TRUST AND FAITH IN U.S. POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 56
- Section X Military Empire 60
- In pure dollar terms the United States now accounts for 42 of all international arms sales substantially higher than the next two countries on the list Russia and France with 11 each combined. 60
- Section XI Financialization and the Racial Wealth Gap 63
- Asset Inequality and Debt by Race 64
- Capital Gains and Financialization 69
- Conclusion A Next System 71
- Broken By Design 71
- Changing the System 72
- A Democratic Economy 73
- -GAR ALPEROVITZ 73
- Principles of a New Political Economy 74
- Making a democratic economy is about consciously redesigning and rebuilding basic economic institutions and processes... so that their core functioning is designed to serve the common good. 74
- An Explosion of Institutional Innovation 75
