Peer to Peer Economy

The Next Big Thing

The secret sauce of the American economy is how we create and exploit the next big thing. From mass-production in manufacturing last century and astounding innovation in computing and telecommunications, to consistently new and unique services enabled by the Internet, America has led the world’s technology revolution.

Now, it’s time for America to lead the world in helping people earn income through the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Economy–a sector where online platforms help workers find customers, owners of cars and homes rent their assets to consumers, and people who make goods reach buyers across the country and around the world.

The P2P Economy empowers people to work when they want, where they want, and how they want.

Regulation and Taxation

The P2P Economy is going to require a new mindset about how our local, state, and federal government restrict, regulate, and tax the entrepreneurial activities enabled by online platforms.

Those policy decisions will determine how this new P2P Economy will–or won’t–deliver benefits to American workers and consumers. One thing’s for sure: it won’t work to apply old regulations that protect legacy trades and large companies from competition and innovation.

We need to approach all the foundations of an economy–education, taxes, and regulation–with a fresh eye for a new era.

From the Coastland to the Heartland

Perhaps most importantly, the P2P Economy can connect two segments of our society that seem at odds in America today: the engineers and entrepreneurs in coastal states that develop the technology; and people in the Midwest and Southern states who feel like tech and economic changes are leaving them behind.

Peer-to-peer online platforms—if we make the right policy choices – can provide economic opportunities for all Americans.