In The Stakeholder Society by Bruce Ackerman and Anne Alstott, a radical proposal is presented to combat what the authors consider to be a growing inequality of opportunity within a system which reinforces this disparity. They argue that these growing economic disparities are “profoundly shaping the future of the next generation” and that without intervention, long-held American principles will disappear from the moral horizon. The solution proposed by the authors is a participation program, under which all adults reaching the age of twenty-one would be guaranteed a sum of eighty thousand dollars, to spend as they wish. While the plan's original goal is to address economic inequality through redistribution, the authors extend this hope by asserting: "Through participation, Americans can gain a renewed sense that they are indeed living in a country of equality of opportunity, where everyone has a fair chance. luck." This speaks more to a rebirth of common citizenship than to simple redistribution. This article will evaluate the proposal for a stakeholder society from the perspective of John Rawls' A Theory of Justice , where Rawls introduces his notion of justice as fairness as a means of determining the moral validity of the fundamental institutions of society. This article will attempt to reflect the fact that, although influenced by a Rawlsian ideology, there are some key differences between the ideals. defended by Rawls and by the authors Moreover, it will show that although the plan would indeed serve to solve certain societal problems, an assessment of its feasibility will prove crucial. Before discussing the value of the plan, it is necessary to. more fully flesh out a description of the proposal. First, the plan would be funded by an annual amount of two per ...... middle of paper ...... own This point is reinforced by the suggestion that the bet. of eighty thousand dollars would act as a tremendous incentive for children to invest in themselves by earning a high school diploma. Thus, although the proposal would not initially address the "moral arbitrariness" of the first generation's starting points (from birth), subsequent generations would greatly benefit from this proposal. All told, this plan, without the improbabilities surrounding the political appeal of such a proposal, would go a long way toward reducing disparities in starting points among individuals and hopefully ensuring greater economic equality. Works Cited Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice, Revised Edition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999. Ackerman, Bruce, and Anne Alstott. The society of stakeholders. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1999.