The Ballot Box (Classic Reprint)

King C. Gillette

ISBN 10: 0259956341 / ISBN 13: 9780259956341

Published by Forgotten Books, 2018

About this Item

Print on Demand. This book details how economic centralization was radically changing the United States by concentrating wealth and power in the hands of a few while impoverishing the masses. The author argues that this inevitable evolution toward centralization of industry would inevitably destroy the nation unless the government intervened to provide employment for those thrown out of work by automation and other labor-saving innovations. The author posits that a "Government Employment Law" guaranteeing a minimum wage of one dollar and fifty cents per day of eight hours would solve this problem, raising all wages and stimulating the economy. This book is a fascinating look at the social and economic problems facing the United States during a period of rapid technological advancement. The author's insights into the causes of poverty and the role of government in mitigating its effects remain relevant today. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book.

Seller Inventory # 9780259956341_0

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Ballot Box (Classic Reprint)
• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0259956341
• ISBN 13: 9780259956341
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Book Type: print-on-demand item
• Seller catalogs:
  • Economics

About this title

Synopsis

A bold call for a national plan to put people to work and end poverty.

This pamphlet argues for a Government Employment Law that would guarantee employment at a stated wage, fund public improvements, and use direct taxation to pay for these programs. It lays out a vision of widespread work—building and maintaining roads, public projects, and infrastructure—to absorb idle labor and raise wages across the economy. The tone is practical and persuasive, focusing on how such a law could stabilize demand, reduce poverty, and spur broad-based prosperity without undermining the incentives to work.

- Learn the proposed mechanism: mandatory government employment, wage floors, and how labor demand would be managed.
- See the expected economic ripple effects: higher wages, more purchasing power, and increased production across industries.
- Explore the argument about public works and infrastructure as engines of growth.
- Understand the political framing around voter power and policy change through the Ballot Box.

Ideal for readers interested in economic policy, progressive reform ideas, and mid-20th‑century debates about how to solve unemployment and poverty.