In this text, the author proposes a new future for socialism based on a redefinition of market socialism. He argues for a modified version of socialism, not necessarily based on public ownership, but founded on equality of opportunity and political influence.

Socialism is not dead, argues noted economist John Roemer; it is merely in need of modernizing. Roemer believes that the hallmark of socialism is egalitarianism, and he reminds us that capitalist societies face increasingly difficult problems of poverty and economic inequality. Re-energizing a debate that began in the late 1930s, he brings a new level of sophistication to the important questions of political economy, in line with contemporary theories of justice and equality.