Resisting the Rule of the Rich: Protecting freedoms from billionaire power

The fortune of billionaires is rapidly accelerating. The actions of the Trump presidency - including the championing of deregulation and undermining agreements to increase corporate taxation - have resulted in explosive growth for the billionaire class, both in the US and around the world. The growing wealth of oligarchs is undermining political freedom and eroding the rights of communities globally, with the super-rich using their wealth to secure political power to shape the rules that define economies, govern nations, and provide and protect civil and political rights of the many.

This report from Oxfam can help you to understand how extreme inequality, billionaires, and government enablers are eroding political freedom and human rights for the majority. The report is divided into four chapters, which explain the growing divide in equality; the disproportionate power and influence wielded by the oligarchy; the political inequality at the bottom, including repression over and resistance against equitable redistribution; and key actions that governments can take - and which businesses can support - to reverse these unsustainable trends and radically reduce economic and political inequality, end oligarchy, and create enabling environments that enshrine and advance the political power of the many. This resource will be especially beneficial to sustainability practitioners.