“Family is the first essential cell of human society.”

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— Pope John XXIII
 

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There’s a lot of ground to cover—and new questions now to address.

One involves how to ensure sound corporate governance of forward funds and businesses, so they don’t drift into self-interest, greed, or the stagnation of collectivism (the subject of Chapter 18). 

But before we reach that discussion, let’s turn now to the real-world challenges the forward economy is built to solve. The first—and most fundamental—is the restoration of the most vital institution in America: the family. 

For without strong families, no system of enterprise, however well-designed, can endure.  
Let’s begin by examining how the forward economy supports them.  
 

Why the Family Comes First

Without strong families to love, nurture, and guide our children, we have no future. The family unit is the heart and soul of our communities, our nation, and our world.

Allow conditions to fester that weaken families, and everything else suffers.

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Find a way to strengthen them, however, and every other institution grows more resilient. Each hard problem becomes easier to solve.

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At the center of nearly every healthy family is one or more parents who work in the economy. The more stable and better-paying the job, the stronger the foundation for the household.

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As Chapters 6 and 7 showed, workers’ incomes rise dramatically in a forward economy—often by 50 percent or more—because prosperity is designed to circulate rather than concentrate.
 

​The Chain of Benefits

When families have more resources, the first and most obvious improvement is nutrition.
In today’s world, wholesome food costs more than junk food. A parent with greater income can buy healthier meals, shaping lifelong well-being for their children.

More income also means learning and enrichment—sports, tutoring, art, music, and exploration that develop both confidence and creativity.

With added stability, parents gain time—the most precious resource of all. Money can purchase breathing room: the chance to read to a child, care for an aging parent, or hire a babysitter for a night to reconnect as partners.

Financial security also strengthens marriages. Money stress is one of the top predictors of divorce; stability is its antidote.

Better pay and fewer breakups mean fewer children growing up in poverty—helping to break the intergenerational cycle once and for all. The greatest predictor of adult poverty is the number of years a person spent poor as a child.

And when home life stabilizes, children thrive in school. Teachers see the difference immediately in attention, optimism, and resilience.

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The Ripple Effect

Each of these outcomes compounds. Healthier families produce healthier communities, which in turn nurture more responsible businesses and governments.

 

Neighborhoods become safer. Schools perform better. Local economies flourish.

The forward economy’s emphasis on sharing profits, mutual success, and purpose at work radiates outward—bringing more joy, peace, and stability to our towns, faith centers, and civic life.

It strengthens America’s competitiveness on the world stage as well. A society that supports its families is a society built to endure.

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Why It Matters

This, ultimately, is one of the most powerful reasons to fund and implement the forward business model.

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It’s not only an investment in economic efficiency or innovation; it’s an investment in the emotional and moral infrastructure of the nation.

Our families, our children, and our country all win.

When families thrive, communities heal.

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And when communities heal, the bonds of trust that hold a nation together begin to strengthen once more.

That’s the next great test for the forward economy: not just to raise wages or nurture families, but to restore faith and unity in a country whose citizens no longer sees their neighbor as a vital stakeholder in a shared future.  
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