The Case for a Maximum Wage

The Case For

by Sam Pizzigati

Modern societies set limits, on everything from how fast motorists can drive to how much waste factory owners can dump in our rivers. But incomes in our deeply unequal world have no limits. Could capping top incomes tackle rising inequality more effectively than conventional approaches?

In this engaging book, leading analyst Sam Pizzigati details how egalitarians worldwide are demonstrating that a “maximum wage” could be both economically viable and politically practical. He shows how, building on local initiatives, governments could use their tax systems to enforce fair income ratios across the board.

The ultimate goal? That ought to be, Pizzigati argues, a world without a super rich. He explains why we need to create that world ― and how we could speed its creation.

Genres: Economics, Politics

140 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2018

About the author

Sam Pizzigati, an Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow, has been writing about inequality in America since the early 1990s. A veteran labor journalist, Pizzigati has edited national publications for four different U.S. trade unions. He currently writes for the OtherWords media service and co-edits Inequality.org, the Institute for Policy Studies weekly on maldistributed income and wealth and its companion website. His articles and op-eds on inequality have appeared in publications ranging from the New York Times and USA Today to Le Monde Diplomatique and the Guardian.

Reviews

[Suzi (Lil Bit Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "The Case for a Maximum Wage", Sam Pizzigati carefully lays out a compelling case for a maximum wage. This book is meticulously and thoroughly researched and surprisingly readable for a complex economic topic. The author presents arguments for and addresses counterarguments against the maximum wage concept, and various countries' and municipalities' efforts to put such measures into place. While I'm still skeptical that a maximum wage or other similar measures would ever be enacted on a federal level, this book is thought provoking and inspired me to continue to research the topic.

[I Read, Therefore I Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Pizzigati is an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC and in this fascinating book he examines whether a maximum wage would help to reduce inequality within society, what a maximum wage would entail and how it could be implemented. I wasn’t convinced that his ideas would gain political momentum to become law but there’s plenty of food for thought here if you’re interested in the topic.

[Ray Battistelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read books like this I usually think, "Nice idea, but how can it be implemented?" Pizzigati not only carefully documents the case for a maximum wage, but also provides several examples of jurisdictions working to make it policy. Excellent read. Inspiring. Hopefully, such policy is in our future.

[Adam McPhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in favour of a maximum wage before I started the book, but felt it would be too hard to enforce. The book offers a lot of good ideas on enforcement in a way that makes it sound possible, and also a good survey of maximum wage campaigns happening around the world right now. Let’s do it and fund universal basic services. It’s a better idea than a ubi or a jobs guarantee.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction

Maximum Wage has been a cornerstone for my Economic Policies @ Interstellar New Deal for quite a while. I tore through this 118 page book, The Case for a Maximum Wage, in half a day as a part of the research to write a policy proposal for Maximum Wage for the Movement for a People’s Party. Its research closely reinforces my policy proposals in so very many ways.

Comments on the Book

The book was amazing and even calls to research from one of the powerful books that I have as required reading for my policies –

[Thomas Sedkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book presented a lot of decent points on how to incentivize more equality of outcome through the maximum wage. Moreover it presented a good case for why equality of outcome to some extent is a favorable goal, and how it is connected to opportunity. That being said, it was a heavily biased book. It didn't like the super rich, which is fine, but it didn't question its own hypotheses or explore potentially redeeming aspects.

[Chloe Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative read that challenges you to think about an entirely new way of viewing income inequality in this country, most intrigued by the ripple effects a maximum wage could hold (lack of incentive to exploit workers, lack of incentive to be environmentally friendly because there is no need to squeeze out every last dollar of profit)

[Josue · Rating 5 out of 5]

It makes sense.

The author had me at hello …

“Most of us shy away from excess. Everything works better, we understand, in moderation. Too much of anything, even essentials for our health and humanity, does us no good. Too much food can leave us dangerously obese. Too much strenuous exercise can break down our bodies. Even too much love can become suffocatingly obsessive.”

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pizzigati makes a very strong, credible and inspiring case for what the change in society can look like and not only that, shows smart ways to make serious progress, perhaps quickly.