When Capitalism Stops Working for the Majority

The bottom line is this: when more voters cannot make ends meet—or must depend on government programs to survive—than voters who feel capitalism is working for them, the country will inevitably move toward more government control and greater redistribution of wealth.

People will vote for the system they believe gives them the best chance to survive. You cannot expect someone who is working full-time, falling further behind, and watching wealth accumulate at the top to remain loyal to an economic system that no longer seems to include them.

History has repeatedly shown that severe economic inequality and the disappearance of a strong middle class create fertile ground for socialism, political extremism, and sometimes communism.

If we want to preserve capitalism, we cannot merely defend it with words. We must make certain it works for enough people that they still have a reason to defend it themselves.