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The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy
With a foreword by Angela Garbes
From the president of the Economic Security Project, a book that shows how a just future is around the corner, if we are ready to seize it
The Guarantee asks us to imagine an America where housing, health care, a college education, dignified work, family care, an inheritance, and an income floor are not only attainable by all but guaranteed, by our government, for everyone.
But isn’t this socialism, or pie-in-the-sky thinking? Not by a long shot, as this paradigm-shifting new book reveals. A full range of government-backed guarantees, from bailouts to bankruptcy protection, keep the private sector in business. So why can’t the same be true for the rest of us?
Author Natalie Foster, co-founder (with Dorian Warren and Facebook’s Chris Hughes) of the Economic Security Project, has had a front-row seat to the dramatic leaps forward in government guarantees over the past decade, from student debt relief to the child tax credit expansion. In The Guarantee , she reveals with compelling evidence how a new economic foundation is already being constructed by some of today’s most important activists and visionaries. She leaves readers with a concrete sense of the policies that are possible—and ready to implement—in twenty-first-century America.
The Guarantee is the rare book that will shift the terms of debate, moving us from the expired and defunct assumptions of no-guardrails capitalism to a nation that works for all of its people.
From the president of the Economic Security Project, a book that shows how a just future is around the corner, if we are ready to seize it
The Guarantee asks us to imagine an America where housing, health care, a college education, dignified work, family care, an inheritance, and an income floor are not only attainable by all but guaranteed, by our government, for everyone.
But isn’t this socialism, or pie-in-the-sky thinking? Not by a long shot, as this paradigm-shifting new book reveals. A full range of government-backed guarantees, from bailouts to bankruptcy protection, keep the private sector in business. So why can’t the same be true for the rest of us?
Author Natalie Foster, co-founder (with Dorian Warren and Facebook’s Chris Hughes) of the Economic Security Project, has had a front-row seat to the dramatic leaps forward in government guarantees over the past decade, from student debt relief to the child tax credit expansion. In The Guarantee , she reveals with compelling evidence how a new economic foundation is already being constructed by some of today’s most important activists and visionaries. She leaves readers with a concrete sense of the policies that are possible—and ready to implement—in twenty-first-century America.
The Guarantee is the rare book that will shift the terms of debate, moving us from the expired and defunct assumptions of no-guardrails capitalism to a nation that works for all of its people.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published April 23, 2024
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1959 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 12, 2025
I’m good I’m listening to the guarantee the fight for the next American economy. Right now, I was talking about the housing bubble in 2008.
How banks were bailed out, not people
OK. I heard it was nip and tuck with disaster
Since the 1960s support for the government has dropped from 80% all the way down to 15% today. Most of that is white voters.
The largest accumulation of wealth is people passing on homes within their to family a meritocracy that is.
Hard to disbelieve that most people don’t think has anything to do with government suppport.
People think that governments with less regulation in the market will control itself, and any government regulation that controls the market is wrong
😑
Republicans usually take advantage of natural disasters. Use their neoliberal policies to disadvantage people of color during national disasters so there will not be protests. 🪧
The real only real people who are making government regulations for the market is democratic.
Some say it’s people who are winning and giving it to the losers
Others say people who are winning or taking advantage of the system that says a meritocracy is no inheritable but hard working people that are not lazy.
But the outliner that saying that hard work can pay off that’s populated in media and consumerism is very rare.
60% of people are in check by check living.
The say the death of the middle class of jobs going to china.
🇨🇳
But most our jobs are in service, retail hospitality, nursing that are really low paid instead of lifting up their wages they should be paid less so more people can take advantage of those people living check by check rather than putting them in the middle class women’s work is really what held up the economy during Covid the essential workers that should really be paid more than they do.
True
How banks were bailed out, not people
OK. I heard it was nip and tuck with disaster
Since the 1960s support for the government has dropped from 80% all the way down to 15% today. Most of that is white voters.
The largest accumulation of wealth is people passing on homes within their to family a meritocracy that is.
Hard to disbelieve that most people don’t think has anything to do with government suppport.
People think that governments with less regulation in the market will control itself, and any government regulation that controls the market is wrong
😑
Republicans usually take advantage of natural disasters. Use their neoliberal policies to disadvantage people of color during national disasters so there will not be protests. 🪧
The real only real people who are making government regulations for the market is democratic.
Some say it’s people who are winning and giving it to the losers
Others say people who are winning or taking advantage of the system that says a meritocracy is no inheritable but hard working people that are not lazy.
But the outliner that saying that hard work can pay off that’s populated in media and consumerism is very rare.
60% of people are in check by check living.
The say the death of the middle class of jobs going to china.
🇨🇳
But most our jobs are in service, retail hospitality, nursing that are really low paid instead of lifting up their wages they should be paid less so more people can take advantage of those people living check by check rather than putting them in the middle class women’s work is really what held up the economy during Covid the essential workers that should really be paid more than they do.
True
May 28, 2024
A refreshing vision for a doable economy that will actually give people what they need. Not just ideas, but ideas we've already tested or need to bring to scale. Written to highlight people doing amazing work today and in such a relatable way.
May 17, 2024
I found this book after hearing Natalie on a podcast I love, The Realignment. I wanted to love this book. I wanted to tell all my friends to read this book. It has all the ideas I believe in the most. But there was something missing from it. It was almost like it was just the first half of the book, and I was waiting for the part where we find out what happens next.
Foster runs through the social movements for universal healthcare, childcare, higher education, housing, and more...detailing exactly how far we've come in just a few short decades. She talks about how each movement started, and how much they've each grown, and how our country is poised to accept these once-radical notions as part of a new social contract in America. But after that...it just sort of ends. She admits that many of these policies were put in place during COVID, and that many of them have also since expired or been repealed. There are no answers as to how we might bring them back. There is very little on how exactly we replace neoliberalism, or how any of this looks as a legitimate economic policy, which I would have loved to hear more about. There is very little meat other than to say "Hey! Look! We did a thing! We're still sort of doing a thing! Let's not quit now!" But maybe this book is meant more as a cup of water from the sidelines halfway through a marathon just before you're about to hit the wall. Just a quick reminder of how far we've come to help you forget about how far we still have to go.
Ms. Foster—Natalie—if you read this, I'm sorry. I really, really did want to love it. And I love your ideas, and all the work you've done, and please keep fighting the good fight! I know I will, too.
Foster runs through the social movements for universal healthcare, childcare, higher education, housing, and more...detailing exactly how far we've come in just a few short decades. She talks about how each movement started, and how much they've each grown, and how our country is poised to accept these once-radical notions as part of a new social contract in America. But after that...it just sort of ends. She admits that many of these policies were put in place during COVID, and that many of them have also since expired or been repealed. There are no answers as to how we might bring them back. There is very little on how exactly we replace neoliberalism, or how any of this looks as a legitimate economic policy, which I would have loved to hear more about. There is very little meat other than to say "Hey! Look! We did a thing! We're still sort of doing a thing! Let's not quit now!" But maybe this book is meant more as a cup of water from the sidelines halfway through a marathon just before you're about to hit the wall. Just a quick reminder of how far we've come to help you forget about how far we still have to go.
Ms. Foster—Natalie—if you read this, I'm sorry. I really, really did want to love it. And I love your ideas, and all the work you've done, and please keep fighting the good fight! I know I will, too.
May 22, 2024
Most of my reading this past year has been about two subjects:
How we protect American democracy and how we build a more conscious, more just, more equitable capitalism.
The Guarantee by Natalie Foster hits at both.
The reality is that because our economy isn't working for so many Americans, it's undermining our democracy. Not only are capitalism and democracy increasingly conflated, but when the institutions that are meant to serve us fail us, it's natural to want change.
As my friend Roy Bahat proposes in the book, we need to think of the social safety system as more of a trampoline than a net. If we can implement policies that do that, the benefits at small and large scale will be enormous.
The specific policy proposals in the book are stakes in the ground. They are a long way from being reality, but they also provoke important questions about what we can do right now. If you're interested in this, I suggest you start with The Guarantee. If you add one more book to your reading list, please consider this.
How we protect American democracy and how we build a more conscious, more just, more equitable capitalism.
The Guarantee by Natalie Foster hits at both.
The reality is that because our economy isn't working for so many Americans, it's undermining our democracy. Not only are capitalism and democracy increasingly conflated, but when the institutions that are meant to serve us fail us, it's natural to want change.
As my friend Roy Bahat proposes in the book, we need to think of the social safety system as more of a trampoline than a net. If we can implement policies that do that, the benefits at small and large scale will be enormous.
The specific policy proposals in the book are stakes in the ground. They are a long way from being reality, but they also provoke important questions about what we can do right now. If you're interested in this, I suggest you start with The Guarantee. If you add one more book to your reading list, please consider this.
June 20, 2024
I may be biased because I work for the organization that Natalie founded, but I absolutely love this refreshing history of how America is shifting the way it views its economy - from a “lift yourself up by your bootstraps” neoliberalism to a “let’s guarantee that everyone has their basics met”. As someone who often gets depressed by the slowness of political change, I did appreciate her outlining how so much that was unthinkable just a decade ago (15 dollar minimum wage, cancellation of student debt) is a reality. We still have a long ways to go, but the tide is changing. Natalie’s book looks back so that we can all find a way to look forward.
August 7, 2024
Natalie Foster's *The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy* is an incisive and inspiring exploration of economic justice and innovation. Foster masterfully delves into the critical issues facing the American economy, offering compelling narratives and insightful analysis. Her vision for a guaranteed income is both revolutionary and grounded in practicality, providing a hopeful blueprint for a more equitable future. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of policy, technology, and social justice. Foster's passion and expertise shine through every page, making *The Guarantee* an essential contribution to contemporary economic discourse.
May 30, 2025
Foster makes some great cases for the Guarantees she argues for in the book, and after reading it I am more convinced that it's a key way to pursue a progressive future. However, I also think there are significant problems that Foster conveniently ignores, including the lack of broad public appeal for candidates backing a Guarantees platform and the nuances required to codify them permanently. There are some great examples of progressive issue victories but very few of progressive candidate victories, and that distinction was never satisfactorily addressed.
My other issue with the book is its structure. I understand why it was written this way, but doing so makes linking all the different Guarantees and their timelines together relatively challenging and I think that takes away from the book's impact.
My other issue with the book is its structure. I understand why it was written this way, but doing so makes linking all the different Guarantees and their timelines together relatively challenging and I think that takes away from the book's impact.
June 14, 2025
"Right now, a lot of us might have the right to shape our communities, but few of us have the capacity. Or the desire...
Agency and dignity and presence and trust are hard to quantify, but they end up being the most profound casualties of neoliberalism, and the most profound wins of the guarantee framework."
This book is a great primer on economic justice advocacy. It summarizes the various ongoing efforts to craft guarantees in American society. Progress is being made, but the fight continues.
Agency and dignity and presence and trust are hard to quantify, but they end up being the most profound casualties of neoliberalism, and the most profound wins of the guarantee framework."
This book is a great primer on economic justice advocacy. It summarizes the various ongoing efforts to craft guarantees in American society. Progress is being made, but the fight continues.
May 30, 2024
A wonderful exploration of the ways we are already living a new world of possibilities - things we can build on for a better, more equitable world. It made me think a lot about zero and positive sum worldviews and building community.
April 11, 2024
Persuasive and moving and full of inspiring stories that highlight all the ways we can and should build a better country for everyone. An important book for the moment we're in. Couldn't recommend more.
May 4, 2024
This is one of the most important books about policy I can remember reading... it explains how our whole way of thinking about the economy is shifting. (And I wrote something that made it in, but I still learned something from every chapter!)
Read
May 5, 2024could not be more proud to be a part of this new “hopepunk economics” movement.
May 7, 2024
Fantastic book! Hopeful, insightful, and powerful account of what it would like to create an economy that allows all Americans to thrive. Highly recommend!
Want to read
May 10, 2024recommended by Anand Giridharadas on The Ink 4.30. and 5.6. 2024
May 11, 2024
Really inspiring view into the possibilities of true equity.
Differently worth a read!
Differently worth a read!
July 4, 2024
Check back in 25 years to see how many of the guarantees have been realized.
September 13, 2025
The book is okay, but there isn't anything in it that I haven't heard at least three other times in other places.
April 14, 2024
This book contextualizes all who have been systematically moving forward to create a better world. It tells the story of so many great leaders, campaigns and movements in order to bring them together into one grand inspiring vision. I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews