The State Of Working America 2002 2003

Examines the impact of the economy on the living standards of the American people over the post-World War II. Comprises seven chapters which cover: family income; wages; employment, unemployment; wealth; income distribution and poverty; regional disparities; and international comparisons.

"A Century Foundation book".

A PUBLIC POLICY REVOLIUTION: A New Direction for a New America asserts that America's economic life is ruled by a supply-side drip-down system that overwhelmingly favors capital over labor and leads to a massive income inequality, preventing the country from reaching its economic potential. Author John Shtino believes that this existing supply-side system is a ticking time bomb that is supported by all major parties and an American elite that is incapable of implementing the changes needed to make America greater than ever, including truly reforming health care, ending welfare as we know it, simplifying the tax code, legalizing victimless crimes, creating a new education paradigm, bringing the debt to fifteen percent of GDP, and much more. Thus, A Public Policy Revolution is dedicated to the destruction of the supply-side system, offering as a replacement a new demand-push paradigm, which would treat capital and labor fairly and guide us toward a more prosperous and equitable America. Since the author further believes that neither party as presently constituted can bring about this much-needed change, he aims to dramatically change the Democratic Party, or, if unsuccessful in this attempt, to establish a meaningful third party. His work not only examines the economic and political problems facing the United States, but also offers means to solve them.

From Reviews of Previous Editions— "The State of Working America remains unrivaled as the most-trusted source for a comprehensive understanding of how working Americans and their families are faring in today's economy."—Robert B. Reich "It is the inequality of wealth, argue the authors, rather than new technology (as some would have it), that is responsible for the failure of America’s workplace to keep pace with the country’s economic growth. The State of Working America is a well-written, soundly argued, and important reference book."—Library Journal "An indispensable work on family income, wages, taxes, employment, and the distribution of wealth."—New York Review of Books Since 1988, The State of Working America has provided a comprehensive answer to a question newly in vogue in this age of Occupy Wall Street: To what extent has overall economic growth translated into rising living standards for the vast majority of American workers and their families? In the 12th edition, Lawrence Mishel, Josh Bivens, Elise Gould, and Heidi Shierholz analyze a trove of data on income, jobs, mobility, poverty, wages, and wealth to demonstrate that rising economic inequality over the past three decades has decoupled overall economic growth from growth in the living standards of the vast majority. The new edition of The State of Working America also expands on this analysis of American living standards, most notably by placing the Great Recession in historical context. The severe economic downturn that began in December 2007 came on the heels of a historically weak recovery following the 2001 recession, a recovery that saw many measures of living standards stagnate. The authors view the past decade as "lost" in terms of living standards growth, and warn that millions of American households face another decade of lost opportunity. Especially troubling, the authors stress, is that while overall economic performance in the decades before the Great Recession was more than sufficient to broadly raise living standards, broad-based growth was blocked by rising inequality driven largely by policy choices. A determinedly data-driven narrative, The State of Working America remains the most comprehensive resource about the economic experience of working Americans.

Not since the Great Depression of the 1930s has the United States faced such a prolonged period of high unemployment and underemployment. Recovery from the "Great Recession" that began in 2008 has been slow, and is projected to remain sluggish over the next several years, while another shock to the global economy could erase the meager gains of the past months. Economic conditions remain fragile and employment challenges show no sign of letting up. With persistently high unemployment and underemployment-and growing inequality in wages-an increasing number of American families are no longer adequately supported by employment income and basic benefits. Many older workers have "retired" before they are ready, and many young workers cannot find a foothold in the job market. A silent crisis is underway, with huge social and economic costs for the nation. iWorking and Living in the Shadow of Economic Fragilityi examines the current state of employment through historical, macroeconomic, cultural, sociological and policy lenses, in order to address fundamental questions about the role and value of work in America today. The book offers suggestions for how to address the short- and long-term challenges of rebuilding a society of opportunity with meaningful and sustaining jobs as the foundation of the American middle class.

"Be prepared for a mind-opening experience." -The Christian Century "Highly readable; excellent for students. . . . A tonic and eye-opener for anyone who wants a politics that works." -Jane Mansbridge, Adams Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University "America Beyond Capitalism comes at a critical time in our history-when we all know our system isn't working but we are not sure what can be done about it. This book takes us outside the confines of orthodox thinking, imagines a new way of living together, and then brings that vision back into reality with a set of eminently practical ideas that promise a truly democratic society." -Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States "Succeeds brilliantly in taking the Jeffersonian spirit into the last bastion of privilege in America, offering workable solutions for making the American economy one that is truly of, by, and for the people." -Jeremy Rifkin, author of The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream "The kind of careful, well-researched, and practical alternative progressives have been seeking. And it's more-visionary, hopeful, even inspirational. I highly recommend it." -Juliet Schor, author of The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need "A compelling and convincing story of the future." -William Greider, author of The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy

Examining what people are paid and how pay differences have changed over time, this title presents new theories that challenge thinking on the impact of education, technology, globalization and the rigidity of labour markets.

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