Markers of Civilization

Childcare

Affordable, available childcare is essential for working parents and the employers who employ them

Education

Accessibility of high-quality public education is a hallmark of civilization in the 21st Century

Family Leave

Time off work to take care of family members is hard to come by and often unpaid in the US, unlike in most other countires.

Financial Security

Policies that insure income sufficiency and favor equality are hallmarks of civilized countries.

Healthcare

In the US, healthcare is delivered almost entirely as a profit-making service. Millions of people have no health insurance and no access to care except the emergency room..

Housing

Safe, adequate housing in the United States is increasingly out of reach of low-income residents

Infrastructure

Reliable transportation, electrical, water and broadband systems are present-day measures of a civilized nation.

Quality of Life

This marker of civilization is the sum total of basics as food, shelter, healthcare, job security, political stability, individual freedom and environmental quality. Are residents living in a stressful rat race? Or in dignity, tranquility and joy?

Water

Untainted water for drinking and household use, delivered through sound, lead-free pipes, is a basic marker of civilization