The key driving force behind populism can best be determined by workers' share of the economy as seen in a FRED graph

\\https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=cRZz

of worker compensation over GDP. As much as economists would prefer to ignore it, the purchasing power of workers is the fuel that drives all democratic economic systems. Another way of viewing this is to consider it a measure of the extractive--integrative economic continuum described in extensive historical detail in the book "Why Nations Fail" by Doran Acemoglu and James Robinson.

Workers do not care about inequality, they care about their family purchasing power and how it relates to providing housing, food, healthcare and a college education for their children. Today's compensation represents a redistribution upwards of between $1,000 and $2,000 per month for every full-time worker in the U.S. compared to 1948-1972. The forces which continue to increasingly depress workers' share include automation, globalization, breaching of natural limits and the reformation of monopolies. Any solution should harness the best features of Capitalism to motivate workers, executives and owners. An enlightened oligarch should understand by this point that their high return on investment is not sustainable. Far better to have a sustainable half a loaf than the crumbs of collapse. That is why I recommend a federal cap on a corporation's profit to wage ratio based upon their W2 and earnings history. Any excess earnings above the cap would be fined 100%. Let's take a look at the motivations. An executive committee foresees an overrun of $1 million which the government will take if they do nothing. However, given a earnings to wage cap of 0.25, they would increase payroll by $800,000 and give $200,000 to the owners. They would then apply that payroll increase in the areas that would provide the biggest payback for the company. Employees would receive wage increases, job security or a new job thereby increasing their self esteem. Finally if employees work to increase corporate profits, they will share in 80 cents on every dollar. All of this is highly motivating and builds employee-employer unity to profit and grow.