Better Exists; it is what we have always sought.
Black people in America have always known that we can do better than what we have here. We came from better. This belief has driven us since 1619 as we have worked to improve America. Like a recalcitrant child, America has walked toward progress, kicking and screaming.
Many places offer better examples of how humans can live together. I’ve previously talked about countries that are more democratic than America; now, I want to discuss more egalitarian countries. Being egalitarian is the goal — creating a society where the benefits of your labor are related to your work. In contrast, a nurse in America earns in a year what a hedge fund manager makes daily.
The Gini index measures income/wealth distribution within a nation or social group. A Gini coefficient of 0 reflects perfect equality, and a coefficient of 100% reflects maximal inequality. Norway, with a Gini index of 22.7%, is on the lower end. In contrast, the United States has a Gini index of 41.5% as of 2019.
I don’t believe it’s an accident that the most democratic countries in the world — Norway, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and New Zealand — are among the most egalitarian, according to the Gini Index. It’s also unsurprising that they have moved further away from capitalism than America. These economies blend market dynamics with government intervention and use taxes to achieve a more egalitarian society, not relying on the so-called “invisible hand.”
In Norway, approximately 52% of workers are unionized. In Sweden, nearly 70% of the working population belongs to a union, while Finland reports a unionization rate of 57.8%. In Iceland, 79% of wage earners are union members. In contrast, New Zealand had a lower union membership rate, with only 14.3% of employees unionized as of March 2022.
All these countries provide their citizens with free college education. While not entirely free, medical services are heavily subsidized by the government, making them very affordable for residents.
Regulatory interventions ensure affordability and stability in the housing markets of Sweden, New Zealand, and Norway. Sweden heavily regulates the rental sector, employing a rent control system to keep housing affordable, with rents often negotiated collectively by tenants’ associations and landlords. This approach prevents excessive rent hikes and provides strong tenant protections, balancing market mechanisms with regulatory oversight.
In Norway, about 80% of people own their homes. The Norwegian government actively works to ensure disadvantaged groups have access to housing through its national strategy for social housing policies. This strategy focuses on preventing homelessness and ensuring good living conditions for vulnerable populations, including children and young people. This approach reflects the goal of integrating market mechanisms with targeted interventions to achieve balanced and equitable housing markets.
The recipe for an egalitarian society includes the following:
- Free college for citizens
- Affordable healthcare for citizens
- Taxation that facilitates a more equal society
- Government intervention to ensure affordable housing
A caveat to these countries’ success is their homogeneity. America is not. America is replete with racism, which has “colored” our development. These egalitarian economies, however, provide us with models to strive toward on our way to a more perfect union (socialism).
