American

Most Americans today would agree that the dream of supporting a family and living a good life on one full time salary is not available to vast numbers of people. Wages have not risen at the pace of profits over the last several decades, and work with benefits is far from guaranteed for many. In his 2023 book, “Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream,”...

Even when the economy is booming and unemployment is low, millions of Americans still face economic hardship. And in the last few years the United States has dealt with supply chain challenges, inflation and financial instability. The economic tools we have to identify, address and talk about those problems aren’t always up to the task, and sometimes the picture we get is...

Do we really understand what’s happening in the economic lives of regular Americans? Gene Ludwig, founder of the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, discusses how and why we should pay attention to different economic indicators with Duke law professor and risk analyst Sarah Bloom Raskin, and Oren Cass, director of the conservative think tank American Compass....

When President Biden expanded the nation's Child Tax Credit in March, US Senator Michael Bennet applauded the move. Bennet, a democrat from Colorado, has been working to increase support for families since he introduced the American Family Act in Congress in 2017. Now he wants to make the Credit, which pays most American families $250 or $300/child each month, permanent. H...

In the United States, the odds are stacked against women and people of color who want to start a business. As a Black entrepreneur, Danielle Kristine Toussaint understood this first-hand. Before opening her creative agency She Thinks Purple, she dealt with barriers only a community of women could help her overcome. She talks about her book "Dare to Think Purple: A Survival...

The sobering impacts of the pandemic, and the need for a rapid transition to a clean energy economy compel us to consider opportunities that lie at the intersection of the two. Hear from White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, TPG Co-CEO Jim Coulter, and US Senator Tina Smith (D).

Corporations play a critical role in closing the wealth gap and confronting systemic racism in America. Taking a hard look at diversity in their workforce, supply chains, and customer base will pay off—not just in a better corporate image but in an improved economy that benefits everyone, including the corporations.

The American Dream says hard work will lead to a better life. But Harvard professor Micheal Sandel says climbing the ladder of success is getting harder in the United States, because the rungs on the ladder are growing further apart.

Former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers says the recovery includes three stages: collapse, bounce-back, and slog. We’ve experienced collapse and bounce-back already. “Now we’re now headed for a slog,” he says.

Societal problems like income inequality have emerged from a financial system that has taken a wrong turn, says Harvard finance professor Mihir Desai.

As the US and China continue their trade war, economic instability is rising in countries around the world.

James Madison would be horrified to see how social media has helped unleash populist passions.

What were the ideals of the framers, and what can they teach us about modern American democracy?

How has extreme individual freedom led to a crisis of isolation?

How do we make college more affordable and accessible for everyone?

Rebecca Blumenstein on gender, journalism, and protecting democracy through news.

What can fix a democracy in crisis?

Afghanistan and Iraq: Looking back after 15 years and counting.

Robert Runcie on the power of education, how tragedy shakes a community, and why he believes in hope

How can colleges better address students' mental health issues?