What if we gave every high school graduate ten thousand dollars? Coupled with a Civics or citizenship curriculum, it could be highly encouraged to spend the sum on one of two things: school, or starting a business.

Perhaps a wild idea compared to our more common standards, such a program could incentivize two of the most powerful ways to build wealth. After all, higher education and entrepreneurship present two core pathways for a better financial future, besides the stock market and home ownership.

This isn’t the only option, but it’s a new idea that has the potential to teach more, to promote greater social mobility. Is that not one of the primary tenets of our economic and political system?