Great Recession (2008), 5, 74, 124, 126, 136. See also stock market crashes
Greenlight, 225
Hacker, Jacob, 14, 87, 210, 216–217
Head Start program, 200–201
Heald College, 150
health care: ACA, 2–3, 57–58, 90, 202–203, 208–218; employee-sponsored benefits in, 12–15, 24–25, 132, 134, 203–205; financial system for, 51, 91, 208–209, 217, 219–220, 241n8; Medicaid, 13, 35, 41, 206–207, 213; Medicare, 13, 26, 51, 206, 207; proposed public options for, 2–3, 26, 34, 210–211, 215–222; VA scandal, 71, 73
Health Care for America (HCFA), 210
Heritage Foundation, 208, 218
higher education: graduation rates in, 259n34; grants for, 19, 20, 152, 154; neoliberal model in, 19–20, 25, 150–151; paid by GI Bill, 149, 152, 156; predatory recruitment in, 149–150, 155–157; proposed public option in, 3, 79, 158–168; student loans, 25–26, 79, 150, 152, 154, 157–158; successes and failures of, 151–158; voucher programs in, 67–68, 86–87, 242n1. See also education, K–12
Hope Scholarship, 152, 154
hospital insurance program, 206. See also Medicare
Host Hotels and Resorts, 15–16
hotel management, 15–16
housing: mortgage marketplace, 40, 120, 124; mortgage subsidies program, 88, 120, 123–124; public option in, 7, 119–122, 251n46; residential segregation, 111–112, 113–115, 122; rural vs. urban inequality, 41–42; voucher program for, 122–123, 125
Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act (1978), 230
Illinois, 110, 121
individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 36, 59, 133. See also retirement savings
inequality, arguments on public options and, 32, 40–42, 75–76, 90–92
internet services, 32–33, 38–40, 54, 68–69, 223–227. See also utility services
investment strategies, 134–137
Iowa State University, 159
Italy, 175
Japan, 175
Jefferson, Thomas, 30, 165
job lock, 34–35
jobs program, national, 229–231
Johnson, Lyndon, 101, 120, 152, 206
judicial system, 48–49
King v. Burwell, 34, 214, 216
labor market, 34–35, 229–231
land control and ownership, 30, 108, 152, 159
“last dollar” scholarship, 163
Levin, Yuval, 33, 80–83
Levitin, Adam, 123, 178
libertarianism, 84
libraries, 3, 26–27, 81, 90–91, 99–101
Lieberman, Joe, 211
Lifelong Learning tax credit, 152, 154
lifetime employer model, 12–15, 16, 24
Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell, 214, 216
lobbying against public options, 63, 78–80, 89–90, 99, 202–203, 211, 226
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, 123
lump-sum payouts, 138–139
Madison, James, 165
mail services. See postal services
market economies, overview, 44–46
market subsidies: about, 6, 25; for child care, 187–189; features and inadequacies of, 26, 55–65, 66, 154; for health care, 57–58, 209, 219; for higher education, 94, 151, 154; for housing and public education, 111, 112, 122, 123; for postal services, 56–57, 61. See also voucher programs
Marriott, 15–16
Maryland, 114–115
Mason, J. W., 86, 87
Massachusetts, 116, 187, 189, 191, 196–197, 218
McCain, John, 202–203
mediation system, 48–49
Medicaid, 13, 35, 41, 206–207, 213. See also health care
Medicare, 13, 26, 51, 206, 207. See also health care
Medicare Modernization Act (2003), 207
Michigan State University, 159
military services, 42, 48, 84, 199, 206. See also GI Bill; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Mississippi, 189, 191
money orders, 169, 171, 172
monopolies: features of, 87, 216; in internet services, 224, 225–227; in market economy, 21–22, 38, 63–64, 83; in postal services, 244n1; of U.S. government, 48; in utility services, 39, 40, 62–63, 217. See also privatization
Montgomery Ward, 203
Morrill Land-Grant College Act (1862), 152, 159
mortgage marketplace, 40, 120, 124
mortgage subsidies, 88, 120, 123–124
NASDAQ, 136
national defense. See military services
National Defense Education Act (1958), 152
National Employment Savings Trust (UK), 145
National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius, 212
National Health Service (UK), 220
national identity through public options, 42–43
national job system, 229–231
National Labor Relations Board, 204
national parks, 2, 3, 5
neoliberalism, 11, 17–22, 25, 65. See also privatization
net neutrality, 68–69. See also internet services
Nevins, Allan, 159
New Jersey, 232
New York, 121, 151–152, 232
New Zealand, 175
Nixon, Richard, 120
No Child Left Behind Act (2001), 113
non-price conditions of public options, 51–53
nonprofit school model, 151–152
North Carolina, 225–226
Nozick, Robert, 84
Obama, Barack, 69, 79, 137, 163–164, 219
Obamacare. See Affordable Care Act (2010)
Ohio, 116–117
Ohio State University, 159
oil industry, 86
Oklahoma, 196, 198–199
online systems, 166–167, 172
parks, 2, 3, 5, 54, 64, 90
pawnbroking, 169
payday loan service, 169, 178–179
payroll taxes, 79, 107, 241nn6–7. See also Social Security
Pell Grants, 19, 20, 152, 154. See also grants, subsidized; higher education
Penn State University, 159
pensions. See retirement savings
personal responsibility arguments, 83–85
politics. See lobbying against public options
pools, public swimming, 3, 41, 54, 101–102
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (2006), 99
postal services: for banking, 4, 174–178, 179; as baseline public option, 1, 2, 3, 26–27, 28, 52; distortion argument on, 76; history of, 41, 97–99, 244n1; market subsidies argument on, 56–57, 61
prepaid banking cards, 171, 172
pricing and public options, 49–53
private companies: for banking, 173–174; corporate consolidation, 20–22; hotel management by, 15–16; incompetence and malfeasance of, 5, 71–74; public options and benefits by, 13, 34–38
privatization: on deregulation, 18; distortion argument on, 74–78; as feature of public options, 48–49; pro-market sentiment, 4–5, 125–126. See also market economies, overview; monopolies; neoliberalism
productivity increases, 12, 14
public banking. See banking
public child care. See child care
public defender services, 231–233
public health care. See health care
public housing. See housing
public libraries, 3, 26–27, 81, 90–91, 99–101
public option, defined, 2–3, 26–30, 44–49, 97. See also specific industries
public schools. See education, K–12; higher education
public transportation, 45–47, 55
Purdue University, 159
racial inequality, 40–42. See also segregation
Reagan, Ronald, 17–18
recessions, 5, 74, 124, 126, 136. See also stock market crashes
regulations: on fiduciaries, 137; on health care, 217; on internet services, 69, 226; on market subsidies, 60–64; on public options, 88–90. See also deregulation
residential segregation,
111–112, 113–115, 122
retirement savings: annuity market, 104–105, 107, 139–141; effects of job fluctuation on, 254n14; employer-sponsored, 11, 12–15, 24–25, 107, 132, 134, 144, 146; government subsidies in, 131–132; investment strategies, 134–137; IRAs, 36, 59, 133; market option deficiencies in, 104–106; market subsidies argument on, 58–60; national shortage of, 109, 129–131; outliving your, 138–141; proposed public option for, 4, 36–37, 77–78, 141–148; withdrawal of, 255n20. See also 401(k) plans; Social Security
Romney, Mitt, 208, 218
Roosevelt, Franklin, 39, 101, 103, 230
Rush, Benjamin, 165
Sanders, Bernie, 164, 168
schools. See education, K–12; higher education
segregation, 91–92, 101–102, 111–115, 122. See also racial inequality
separation of powers, 81–82
Shkreli, Martin, 71
single-payer system, 91, 208, 217, 219–220
Smith, Adam, 45–46
SNAP program, 67–68, 242n1
socialism, 69–70, 220
Social Security: as baseline public option, 27, 29, 30–31, 104, 106–107; conditions for, 52–53; exemptions from, 238n1; financial management and benefit structure of, 49–50, 107–109, 241nn6–7; history of, 13–14, 103–104. See also retirement savings
Social Security Act (1935), 103
Starbucks, 37
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), 207
stock market crashes, 11, 22, 25, 124, 130, 136. See also recessions
student loans, 25–26, 79, 150, 152, 154, 157–158. See also higher education
swimming pools, public, 3, 41, 54, 101–102
Switzerland, 175
tax subsidies, 6, 79, 85–88, 109, 144, 191–192, 205–206, 266n25. See also voucher programs
Tennessee, 162–163, 225–226
Texas A&M University, 159
Thatcher, Margaret, 18
1099 economy, 15–16
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), 131
Time Warner, 225–226
transportation, 45–47, 55
TransUnion, 227
Treaty of Detroit, 12–14, 24–25
Truman, Harry, 204
Trump, Donald: on child care deductions, 188; on fiduciary regulation, 137; on net neutrality, 69; on Obamacare, 202, 215, 218, 222; on voucher programs, 111
Uber, 15
unbanked and underbanked citizens, 169–172. See also banking
United Auto Workers, 12
United Kingdom, 18, 145, 175, 220
UPS, 3, 56, 97
U.S. Department of Defense, 199–200
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 121
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 71, 73, 124
U.S. Postal Service. See postal services
U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 20, 157, 211
utility services, 39–40, 62–63, 217. See also internet services
visibility of public options, 87–88
voucher programs, 85–86; for child care, 190; for food, 67–68, 242n1; for higher education, 67–68, 86–87, 242n1; for housing, 122–123, 125; for K–12 education, 117–119. See also grants, subsidized
Wachter, Susan, 123
Washington, D.C., 114–115, 182, 251n46
Washington, George, 165
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