Bernie Sanders' Economic Platform: Income Inequality Analysis
This paper examines Bernie Sanders' economic platform through a macroeconomic lens, focusing on his approach to income inequality and the declining American middle class. The paper evaluates key policy proposals including a federal infrastructure investment program modeled on Keynesian economics, a minimum wage increase from $7.25 to $15 per hour, expansion of Social Security and Medicare, progressive taxation on high earners and corporations, and opposition to free trade agreements such as the TPP and NAFTA. It also addresses the critical question of how such a broad benefits platform would be financed, and weighs Keynesian spending arguments against supply-side counterarguments regarding savings and investment.
- Introduction: The Core Thesis of Sanders' Platform: Sanders frames platform around income inequality and middle class decline
- Infrastructure Investment and Keynesian Economics: Federal infrastructure spending modeled on New Deal Keynesian economics
- Minimum Wage Policy: Benefits and Drawbacks: Raising minimum wage to $15 analyzed for benefits and economic risks
- Taxation as a Funding Mechanism: Progressive taxation and closing corporate loopholes as revenue sources
- Trade Policy and the American Middle Class: Sanders opposes TPP and NAFTA to protect domestic manufacturing jobs
- Macroeconomic Challenges and Competing Theories: Keynesian spending vs. supply-side savings debate applied to Sanders' plan
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What makes this paper effective
- It applies concrete economic frameworks—AD-AS modeling, Keynesian theory, and Standard Trade Theory—to evaluate real policy proposals, grounding political analysis in economic reasoning.
- The paper presents both the strengths and weaknesses of each Sanders proposal, demonstrating critical balance rather than advocacy or dismissal.
- It synthesizes multiple policy areas (infrastructure, wages, taxation, trade) into a coherent macroeconomic critique, showing how the proposals interact with one another.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of a counterargument structure: for each major policy proposal, it presents the intended economic benefit, then introduces critiques from economists or competing theories (e.g., supply-side vs. Keynesian views on saving and spending). This technique strengthens analytical credibility and models balanced academic argumentation.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by establishing Sanders' central thesis around income inequality, then moves policy by policy—infrastructure, minimum wage, taxation, trade—before concluding with a broader macroeconomic assessment. Each section follows a consistent pattern of proposal, justification, and critique, creating a clear and predictable argumentative rhythm that aids reader comprehension.
Introduction: The Core Thesis of Sanders' Platform
Bernie Sanders' economic platform is built on the concept of income inequality. As a democratic socialist, his central thesis is that the U.S. economy is generating wealth while simultaneously producing large and growing income disparities. His platform explores an interesting dichotomy: despite continuous increases in economic productivity over the years and tremendous advances in technology — advances that should theoretically reduce economic disparities — workers are compelled to work longer hours for the same or lower wages.
Sanders' approach is more complex than simply emphasizing economic disparities. He frames his platform around a transfer of wealth — not merely the existence of wealth gaps — between the middle class and the rich. As many observers note, the United States was built around the proliferation of a robust middle class, making this transfer of wealth a legitimate concern for voters. When addressing poverty, Sanders specifically emphasizes child poverty, citing UNICEF data indicating that the U.S. has the highest child poverty rate among developed countries at 32.2%, compared to the United Kingdom's 25.6%, the second highest on the list.
The cornerstone of Sanders' economic platform is therefore the revival of the middle class. He proposes several mechanisms to accomplish this, including major federal jobs programs, progressive taxation reform, trade policy changes, and significant expansions of social benefits.
References
Luhby, Tami. "Free College and Healthcare for All — How Would Bernie Sanders Pay for It?" CNN Money. Web. 2015.
The National Tax Foundation. "Tax Topics." The National Tax Foundation. Web. 2015.
Tully, Shawn. "Why Savings Stimulate More than Spending." Fortune Magazine. Web. 2015.
Williams, Sean. "Bernie Sanders' Plan to Raise the Minimum Wage Has Plenty of Flaws." Business Insider. Web. 2015.
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