Reducing income inequality

The State is responsible for keeping society united and dominating trends towards dispersal, and in particular for preventing the existence of situations of exclusion. Concentration of income is one of the most disruptive and divisive aspects in a society. The role of the State is fundamental in the development of policies to curb the tendency towards inequitable income distribution as far as possible. The argument most often heard in international fora is that there are no possible measures or alternative systems in the face the process of globalization now under way. The responsibility of States is delimited, signalling that they "can't do anything else". It is for this reason that a critique from the standpoint of economic, social and cultural history is pertinent in the present situation: the responsibility of States is inescapable where there are violations of fundamental rights, and exclusion is the most fundamental violation of all.