In a democratic society where most people work, citizens see themselves as contributors worthy of political voice and shared ownership. If resources come from capital rather than labor, it's harder to justify that everyone deserves a share—political claim becomes based on generosity rather than contribution.

causalpending

Speaker

David Autor

Evidence Quote

if most people are working then it's easy for people to say well these are people all contributors...Whereas if...all the money comes out of a fountain...it's much harder to say that everybody deserves their share [38:15]

Source

A Threat Bigger than China | MIT Economist David AutorReid Hoffman
Created: 8/11/2026, 6:32:32 AM

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