What We Owe Each Other

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From a leading policy expert, this urgent rethinking emphasizes how we can better support each other to thrive. Every day, we engage in the social contract through mutual obligations within our families, communities, workplaces, and as citizens. Caring for others, paying taxes, and benefiting from public services define this contract that binds society. However, it is currently fractured due to shifting gender roles, technology, new work models, aging populations, and climate change. The author explores life stages we all face—raising children, education, illness, work, and aging—and illustrates how we can reorder our societies. Drawing on global evidence, she argues that every country can ensure its citizens have the basics for a decent life and the ability to contribute. Yet, we owe each other more; a more inclusive society should collectively share risks and encourage contributions from all individuals to help everyone reach their potential. The work identifies essential elements of a renewed social contract that acknowledges our interdependencies, promotes investment in one another, and raises expectations for individual contributions. It offers practical solutions to contemporary challenges and demonstrates how we can collaboratively build a better society.