The Predistribution Agenda

Tackling Inequality and Supporting Sustainable Growth

The concept of predistribution is increasingly setting the agenda in progressive politics. But what does it mean? The predistributive agenda is concerned with how states can alter the underlying distribution of market outcomes so they no longer rely solely on post hoc redistribution to achieve economic efficiency and social justice. It therefore offers an effective means of tackling economic and social inequality alongside traditional welfare policies, emphasising employability, human capital, and skills, as well as structuring markets to promote greater equity.

At the same time, experts have warned that any shift away from a welfare state underpinned by traditional programmes of redistribution is potentially misguided: redistribution and predistribution should be complimentary rather than alternative strategies. This book explores how far key concerns of the pre-distribution agenda relate to social democratic politics in Western European societies, in particular how to secure the support of middle-income voters, women and families, and younger generational cohorts in an era of austerity.

This book examines the key debates surrounding the emergence and development of predistributive thought with contributions from leading international scholars and policy-makers.