Economic Growth Program

Regular Harpers and Financial Times contributor Barry C. Lynn paints a genuinely alarming picture: most of our public debates about globalization, competitiveness, creative destruction, and risky finance are nothing more than a cover for the widespread consolidation of power in nearly every imaginable sector of the American economy.

Since President Obama announced the December job summit this month, the policy world has scrambled to put forth their ideas on how to best stimulate job creation in our jobless recovery.  Some have noticed the surprisingly low German unemployment rate in the face of the Great Recession; Germany has been one of the worst-hit European economies, but their unemployment rate ticked down from 8.6 percent in March to 7.7 percent in October of this year.  Commentators have credited Germany's ability to retain jobs to a 5 billion Euro government policy… more

The current state of the "shadow banking system," rising unemployment rates, the sinking value of the dollar, and the lasting mortgage crisis demonstrate the need for long-view reform. The Next Stage will consider the larger implications of the new administration's economic policy on the economy and the international financial and monetary system.  Featured speakers include James K. Galbraith, Stephany Griffith-Jones, Jan Kregel, Robert Johnson, and others. 

In a recent blog post on the Web site of the policy journal Health Affairs, Dr. Wennberg, two other Darmouth researchers and the author Shannon Brownlee ...

There is widespread recognition that the financial crisis which triggered the Great Recession was significantly due to financial excess, particularly related to real estate. Now, policymakers are looking to reform financial systems in hope of avoiding future crises. But like the drunk who looks for his lost keys under the lamppost because that is where the light is, policymakers remain fixated on capital standards because that is what is already in place.

There is widespread recognition that the financial crisis, which triggered the Great Recession, was significantly due to financial excess, particularly in real estate lending. Now, policymakers are looking to reform the financial system in hope of avoiding future crises. But like the drunk who looks for his lost keys under the lamppost because that is where the light is, policymakers remain fixated on capital standards because that is what is already in place.

Bernard L. Schwartz Economic Growth Fellow

Dr. Thomas Palley is the Bernard L. Schwartz Economic Growth Fellow. Prior to joining New America, Dr. Palley was the Chief Economist with the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. He was Director of the Open Society Institute's Globalization Reform Project, and before that he was Assistant Director of Public… more

Policy Analyst, Economic Growth Program and Next Social Contract Initiative

As a Policy Analyst with the Economic Growth Program and Next Social Contract Initiative, Lauren Damme specializes in international comparative research to highlight diverse public policy alternatives. She writes on a variety of topics, including infrastructure, pensions, labor, and wage issues. 

Three calendar dates. Three anniversaries. Three eras in the history of the United States and the world.

Over the past several weeks, the US dollar's depreciation against the euro and yen has grabbed global attention.

In a normal world, a weaker US dollar would be welcome, as it would help the US come to grips with its unsustainable trade deficit.

But because China links its yuan to the US dollar at an undervalued parity, the US dollar's depreciation risks major global economic damage, complicating the recovery from the worldwide recession.