Economy and Business
Another View of the Capitol
Four and a half miles due East of the U.S. Capitol is a neighborhood called Capitol View. It sits on a hill that offers that iconic view of the Capitol and the Washington Monument that symbolizes official Washington. But the view feels less than majestic for the...
The Political Calculations behind Growing Inequality
Fifty years ago, average Americans lived in a society where less than $10 of every $100 in personal income went to the nation's richest 1 percent. Our top 1 percent are now grabbing just under 20 percent of America's income, double the 1963 level. How did this happen?...
Our Bullish Sock Market
America's economic recovery can be measured not only in the performance of stocks — but also of socks. Most economists, pundits, and politicos see this year's boom in the stock market and say: "See, the recovery is going splendidly!" What if they went to such stores...
The Men’s Club
Most people would probably guess that the upper echelon of corporate America is an exclusive, virtually males-only club. And they'd be right. A new Institute for Policy Studies report shows just how exclusive this club is. Over the past two decades, there are only...
Mexican Food for Thought
As I stepped off a bus in Mexico earlier this month, a tour guide urged my family and everyone else on the trip to go home and tell others that his country was safe. "Nobody got shot, eh?" he asked, explaining that stories about Mexico as a modern-day Wild West...
Paying for Poor Performance
On Wall Street, they're giving Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer the bum's rush. Ballmer has just announced he'll soon retire. After his announcement, Microsoft's shares shot up 7 percent. The wise guys on Wall Street obviously can't wait to see Ballmer go. And neither can...
Heads They Win, Tails We Lose
The Un-American Way
The United States is negotiating a NAFTA-style trade deal that should be alarming to American consumers. The main reason it's not getting much attention is that the mainstream media is largely ignoring it. This pact deserves more news coverage. It threatens to...
In America’s West, Equality Takes a Hit
In The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Us Stronger, the landmark 2009 book on the impact of deep economic divides on our daily lives, the surprise societal star — at least for most American readers — turns out to be the state of Utah. On all sorts of measures...
How to Move Millions into the Middle Class
President Barack Obama is pledging to make the rest of his time in office about "making this country work for working Americans again." That means one branch of government is on the case. After rejecting White House proposals to create good jobs that would rebuild our...
