A new social contract for a new economy

Abstract

Overlapping processes of very different origins, duration and intensity are transforming societies profoundly and leading one to question the foundations and suitability to the current reality of the social contract with which advanced economies have functioned in recent decades. In this introductory article from the monograph of Información Comercial Española, Revista de Economía (Spanish Trade Information, Journal of Economics) we discuss the challenges redesigning the social contract involves in the face of social changes, the compatibility between equity and economic efficiency, market competition, business sustainability, the impact on the labour market of the technological revolution, and redistribution via alternative means, such as universal basic income and minimum income.

Keywords:

social contract, welfare state, technical progress, globalisation