Archive
The Republican Fever Is Breaking (And Just In Time)
President Obama in 2012 expressed hope that "when we're successful in this election ... the fever may break" and Republicans would stop relentlessly obstructing everything in sight. In May of this year he conceded, "it’s not quite broken yet." Last week, Politico...
A Surprise Ending for Larry Summers and the Fed?
Whoever said, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” doesn’t know much about economics. That goes double for the nomination of Lawrence Summers to head the Federal Reserve. For all the ink that's been spilled on the topic, there’s at least one surprise ending people...
Republicans Sabotaging, Not Governing. This Is Who They Are Now.
Imagine a political party that keeps government from helping people, because that might lead people to support government. Imagine a political party that hurts parts of the country because those parts tend to not vote the way they want. Imagine a political party that...
Despite Senate Vote, The Fight For Lower Student Loan Rates Isn't Over
By passing a student loan bill that raises rates in the very near future, the Senate showed a lack of compassion for students that didn’t seem possible. The Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act passed the Senate with a vote of 81-18 (45 Republican votes, 35...
Obama Renews Economic Vision Obama previews plans to help economy without Congress. National Journal's Jill Lawrence is skeptical: "That is not the same as raising the minimum wage (which many conservatives say is bad for business); finding money for universal pre-K...
Obama: Revive the American Dream
In a speech delivered at Knox College in Illinois, President Obama launched his final campaign: a campaign to revive the American Dream. The speech, less eloquent and windier than the best of Obama, told Americans a clear story, and called on them to support a clear...
Tom Friedman: A New Ayn Rand for A Dark Digital Future
If Thomas Friedman didn’t exist, America’s high-tech entrepreneurs would have had to invent him. Come to think of it, maybe they did. The dark science-fiction vision he celebrates serves them well, at pretty much everyone else’s expense. Friedman's vision is worth...
No Matter How You Look At It, the Minimum Wage is Much Too Low
As of today, it's been four years since the last increase in the federal minimum wage, to $7.25 per hour, or $15,000 per year for full-time work. In the lead-up to this anniversary, CEPR has released four blog posts with infographics that illustrate many different...
Not Sexist Summers, Please
Larry Summers for the Fed? Seriously? There are better choices for Federal Reserve chair; in particular, Janet Yellen is more than qualified and would do a great job. Ezra Klein writes in, "Right now, Larry Summers is the front-runner for Fed chair," "The word among...
Sheila Bair's Case For Janet Yellen As The Next Fed Chair
Sheila Bair, the former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and one of the few insider voices of sanity in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, made the case for Federal Reserve vice chair Janet Yellen to replace Ben Bernanke as Fed chair when his...
