Overview of TASC Research and Policy Programme

Economic and environmental sustainability are the gateway to a society capable of improving the quality of life for all of us, and an essential step in the development of a sustainable economic system. TASC’s research and policy work draws from ongoing international work to develop a new model of sustainable development and social and economic progress and from our participation in pan-European and international networks of think tanks.

Significant levels of inequality exist across many areas of the economy. Within this context, TASC defines ‘economic equality’ as equality in the organisation and distribution of economic activity and resources, in a social market framework, through employment, income, taxation, ownership, welfare, health, education, housing, etc. A social market economy is one which is regulated in the public interest.

Beginning with the Progressive Economics conference (TASC Autumn Conference, October 2009), TASC has been putting forward the idea of ‘recovery with equality’, which has been used to inform our research and policy work. The articulation of economic equality within a discourse of ‘recovery with equality’ provides us with a roadmap out of the current crisis where we can build a more equal and sustainable economic system, as well as position the economy in the long-term.

To reflect this, TASC has organised its research and policy work into three, inter-related thematic areas: the economy, democracy and public services.
Within these thematic areas a number of immediate priorities (mainly relating to the economy) have been identified in an effort to provide policy alternatives to issues arising from the current crisis. These immediate priorities are the projects that will be pursued during 2010, along with a limited number projects relating to democracy and open government. See below for links to the 2010 projects.  Information on further projects will be uloaded as they are developed.