Category: Economy
Trump Budget Cuts Funding for Assistance Programs and Pushes for Strict Work Requirements
by Dennis Parker | May 13, 2019 | Economy, PoliticsThe president’s fiscal 2020 budget proposal is yet another attack on poor families. The administration has proposed slashing funding for critical programs that help low- and moderate-income individuals access healthy and nutritious food, receive critical health care services, and live in safe and affordable homes. Specifically, the president proposed to cut $230 billion from the […]
The Paris Peace Conference After 100 Years: Some Critical Lessons Not Learned
by Steven Pressman | Mar 12, 2019 | Economy, PoliticsWorld War I, the so-called “war to end all wars,” concluded in November 1918. The crucial question of the day changed abruptly—from how to wage war to how to make peace. Could the Allied powers prevent another war on the European continent? How would individual nations rebuild their economies? And who was going to pay […]
Flat Wages, the Middle Class in Retreat—Is It Time for Basic Income?
by Steven Pressman | Nov 12, 2018 | Economy, PoliticsPresident Trump and Republicans in general have been touting the low U.S. unemployment rate, which now sits at 3.7 percent. This is close to what economists regard as full employment, or the best the U.S. economy can reasonably be expected to do. What this number doesn’t tell us, however, is what kind of jobs people […]
Trump’s Trade War: An Unwinnable Folly
by Steven Pressman | Sep 3, 2018 | Economy, Foreign Policy, PoliticsDuring his volatile presidential campaign, Donald Trump griped about the U.S. trade deficit and criticized U.S. trade agreements. He called the North American Free Trade Agreement “the worst trade deal the U.S. has ever made.” NAFTA reduced trade barriers (especially tariffs) between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. He opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an attempt […]
In this Month’s Issue: August 2018
by | Aug 1, 2018 | Economy, Foreign Policy, PoliticsFrench Lessons on How to Grow the Middle Class By Steven Pressman As the campaign season enters its final stages, torrents of empty rhetoric and wasted column inches are being devoted to the fate of American middle-class families. Proposals ranging from health saving accounts, student debt forgiveness, even guaranteed minimum income plans have been advanced as […]