The Raging 2020s audiobook cover - Companies, Countries, People – and the Fight for Our Future

The Raging 2020s

Companies, Countries, People – and the Fight for Our Future

Alec Ross

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EconomicsPolitics

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The Raging 2020s
The Broken Social Contract+
Corporate Power & Capitalism+
Weakened Government+
Labor & Employee Rights+
Global Tax Evasion & Reform+
Technological Might & Cyberwarfare+
The Future: Open vs. Closed Models+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
What does the book mean when it states that developed societies are currently in a 'second Engels' Pause'?
  • A. A period where technological and economic advancements have outpaced the existing social contract, leading to high inequality.
  • B. A temporary global economic recession caused by the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
  • C. A deliberate government strategy to halt industrial manufacturing in order to stabilize inflation and wages.
  • D. A geopolitical stalemate where democratic and authoritarian nations refuse to trade with one another.
Question 2 of 8
According to the text, what is the primary difference between shareholder capitalism and stakeholder capitalism?
  • A. Shareholder capitalism relies on government funding, while stakeholder capitalism relies entirely on private investments.
  • B. Shareholder capitalism prioritizes only the profits of investors, while stakeholder capitalism considers the well-being of employees, customers, and the environment.
  • C. Shareholder capitalism is strictly regulated by international law, while stakeholder capitalism operates in unregulated offshore tax havens.
  • D. Shareholder capitalism focuses on long-term environmental sustainability, while stakeholder capitalism focuses on short-term quarterly profits.
Question 3 of 8
What does the book identify as the most important issue to tackle in order to help the government regain its strength against corporate power?
  • A. The privatization of public transportation systems.
  • B. The lack of a universal basic income for all citizens.
  • C. Corporate lobbying, which makes politicians beholden to their corporate donors.
  • D. The transition from a manufacturing economy to a service-based economy.
Question 4 of 8
How does the 'Nordic model' successfully organize labor to benefit employees?
  • A. It mandates that all citizens must work for state-owned enterprises with fixed wages.
  • B. It bans labor unions entirely, relying instead on strict government minimum wage laws.
  • C. It allows individual workers to negotiate their own contracts directly with CEOs in a completely free market.
  • D. It uses union federations and business associations to bargain with the government to set working standards for the entire economy.
Question 5 of 8
What solution does the book propose to combat highly complex corporate tax avoidance schemes like the 'Double Irish with a Dutch Sandwich'?
  • A. Unitary taxation with formulary apportionment, which taxes a multinational's total profit based on geographic revenue and costs.
  • B. Implementing a universal flat tax rate of 20% across all nations worldwide, regardless of economic size.
  • C. Banning multinational corporations from operating in more than three different countries simultaneously.
  • D. Allowing corporations to voluntarily choose a single country to pay all their taxes to, based on their headquarters location.
Question 6 of 8
Why is it essential for the US government to develop stronger partnerships with private tech companies?
  • A. Because the government needs access to private offshore bank accounts to fund its military operations.
  • B. Because the private sector leads in developing digital tools and cyberwarfare capabilities, an area where the government is lagging.
  • C. Because tech companies have successfully lobbied to make it illegal for the government to hire its own software developers.
  • D. Because the government wants to completely privatize the military and hand over national security to tech CEOs.
Question 7 of 8
How does the book characterize China's 'closed model' social contract?
  • A. A heavily regulated, socialist economy paired with an open, democratic political system.
  • B. A system that provides the world's strongest social safety nets but requires citizens to pay nearly all their income in taxes.
  • C. A capitalistic and liberal economy combined with strict authoritarian political control and limited individual freedom.
  • D. A completely decentralized system where local municipalities dictate all economic and political laws without federal oversight.
Question 8 of 8
According to the final summary, which of the following is NOT listed as a necessary step to rebalance the broken social contract?
  • A. Adopting stakeholder rather than shareholder capitalism.
  • B. Helping employees unionize effectively.
  • C. Developing partnerships between technology companies and federal agencies.
  • D. Deregulating multinational corporations to stimulate global economic competition.

The Raging 2020s — Full Chapter Overview

The Raging 2020s Summary & Overview

The Raging 2020s (2021) is an autopsy of the American social contract, which once kept companies, governments, and individuals in stable harmony but has since broken down. In particular, it describes how the power of corporations has expanded in recent years while federal might has waned –⁠ and how the result is that companies have more control over people’s lives than ever before. We must work to restore the balance and write a new social contract for the modern age.

Who Should Listen to The Raging 2020s?

  • Citizens concerned about the increasing power of corporations
  • Current or aspiring politicians and activists
  • Anyone who sees the value in capitalism but thinks it can be improved

About the Author: Alec Ross

Alec Ross is an entrepreneur, professor, and former technology policy advisor for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the Obama administration. He is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Bologna in Italy and a Board Partner at the venture capital firm Amplo. His 2016 book Industries of the Future is a New York Times best seller and was named Book of the Year by the TriBeCa Film Festival’s Disruptive Innovation Foundation.

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