From the streets to the boardrooms of America, the dysfunctions of our political and economic system are on full display: from the ongoing Great Recession to a Congress in the pocket of corporations to a banking sector that serves themselves instead of the public good. Against this disheartening backdrop, what we really need to do is step back and reimagine capitalism itself.

In this week’s special issue of The Nation, guest editor William Greider brings together 16 short proposals for how we can begin to craft a system that works for everyone—not just for the wealthiest Americans. In this Nation Conversation, Greider joins associate editor Mark Sorkin to explain that pushing these proposals could offer a chance for the progressive community to go on the offense in working towards changing a broken system.

—Sara Jerving