Are Rising Inequalities Paving the Way to the Next Global Crisis?

Inequalities are exploding. The case seems settled… and yet, upon closer examination, the situation is far from clear-cut. It all depends on the point of view from which one looks. Are we talking about income? The claim is debatable, even in the United States. Are we talking about wealth? The claim is entirely valid, and more so in France than in the United States. One must still distinguish whether we are referring to cohort tracking or undifferentiated income groups, to the ratio between the income of the wealthiest and that of the least well-off, or between middle incomes and other incomes, etc. The notion of a general explosion of inequality ultimately masks the social reality and obscures the real problems and tensions. What are these real problems and the resulting tensions, and how can they be addressed through relevant public policies? That is the purpose of this session. In the spotlight are the issues of policies to combat poverty and disability, to fight exclusion, to prevent the downward mobility of the middle class, policies for the appropriation of technological progress, and the proper coordination of these policies in order to preserve social cohesion while keeping public finances under control.