Economic Dignity
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4.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
“Timely and important . . . It should be our North Star for the recovery and beyond.” —Hillary Clinton
“Sperling makes a forceful case that only by speaking to matters of the spirit can liberals root their belief in economic justice in people’s deepest aspirations—in their sense of purpose and self-worth.” —The New York Times
When Gene Sperling was in charge of coordinating economic policy in the Obama White House, he found himself surprised when serious people in Washington told him that the Obama focus on health care was a distraction because it was “not focused on the economy.” How, he asked, was the fear felt by millions of Americans of being one serious illness away from financial ruin not considered an economic issue? Too often, Sperling found that we measured economic success by metrics like GDP instead of whether the economy was succeeding in lifting up the sense of meaning, purpose, fulfillment, and security of people.
In Economic Dignity, Sperling frames the way forward in a time of wrenching change and offers a vision of an economy whose guiding light is the promotion of dignity for all Americans.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sperling (The Pro-Growth Progressive), former director of the National Economic Council under presidents Clinton and Obama, makes a well-reasoned and informative case for market reforms that would allow people to "car for family without economic deprivation or desperation"; "pursue potential and a sense of purpose"; and "meaningfully participate in the economy with respect, not domination and humiliation." After identifying challenges to economic dignity in America, including the links between racism and poverty and flaws in the criminal justice system, Sperling outlines possible solutions, such as creating green jobs, introducing a universal basic income for "dislocated workers are trying to rise," and increasing support for full-time caregivers. He also discusses the need to address shortcomings in contract workers' benefits and rights, and to amend the current Social Security system. Sperling critiques conservatives for paying "lip service" to the working class while voting against measures that would improve their lives, such as minimum wage increases and child-care subsidies; advocates for increased government spending; and defends the merits of a well-regulated free market. Though Sperling tends to belabor his points, he successfully bridges the gap between writing for a lay audience and persuading policy wonks. This balanced and authoritative take shows how to work within the system to produce meaningful change.
