Topic: Economic Inequality
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10 books to read after the election
Election season is finally almost over. Now it's time to actually tackle America's problems. Here are 10 books that offer context.
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How skewed is America's income inequality? Take our quiz.
Income inequality has become a central issue in the presidential election, with President Obama declaring it “the defining issue of our time,” Mitt Romney decrying “the bitter politics of envy,” and Romney’s former Bain partner (and current campaign contributor) Edward Conard arguing, in a new book, that income inequality is something America needs more of. To evaluate what the candidates say in the coming months, you’ll need a working knowledge of the topic. How well do you know American inequality? Take this quiz based on my new book, "The Great Divergence":
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Briefing
Buffett rule: Five questions about Obama's plan answered
President Obama wants a proposed "Buffett rule" to make sure that millionaires pay at least a 30 percent federal tax rate. Here are five facts that shed light on the Buffett rule and the debate surrounding it.
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In Pictures: Occupy Wall Street then and now
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Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 4/29
All Content
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$10 minimum wage proposed for Michigan
$10 minimum wage would be achieved over three years, according to Democrats sponsoring the bill. But Republicans, who control the state legislature and the governorship, have not embraced a $10 minimum wage.
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Africa Monitor Africa's economic boom: Five countries to watch
South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, and Ethiopia all have economies that are growing at a brisk pace. But their future depends on how they invest that money, writes Matthew Hawkins.
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Famously corporate-friendly Switzerland set to get tough on CEO pay
Amid widespread anger over huge salaries and golden parachutes, the Swiss public will vote Sunday on an initiative that would give shareholders a say on executive pay.
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South Korea's first female president inaugurated today. Will she bring change? (+video)
South Korea’s new president, Park Geun-hye, was sworn into office today, taking the helm at a tumultuous time.
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Energy Voices Will oil troubles push the US into a severe recession?
High oil prices and continued oil problems around the world will likely push the US economy into a severe recession by the end of 2013, Tverberg writes.
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Robert Reich Fiscal cliff would hurt low-wage workers the most
Fiscal cliff drama in Washington coinciding with strikes and work stoppages among America’s lowest-paid workers, at Walmart and fast food restaurants, is no coincidence. If Congress goes over, these are the people who will feel the pinch.
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Powerball lottery jackpot hits record $550 million
With Powerball lottery drawing hours away, Americans are snapping up tickets for the estimated $550 million jackpot. The record Powerball jackpot is renewing questions about its burden on lower income groups, but it may be less burdensome than other lotteries.
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Latin America Monitor Latin American women: better educated, but still underpaid
A recent report found that men earn 17 percent more than women in Latin America. It's an improvement over data from 10 years ago, but the pace of gains remains slow.
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10 books to read after the election
Election season is finally almost over. Now it's time to actually tackle America's problems. Here are 10 books that offer context.
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Opinion: How to give cooperative businesses more clout in the world economy
Against a backdrop of sluggish economic growth, rising wealth inequality, and high unemployment, cooperative businesses are telling an unexpected story of stability, growth, and value. They could do even more good if they received greater political and public support.
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The price of inequality: Q&A with Nobel economics winner Joseph Stiglitz
Joseph Stiglitz, author of the new book 'The Price of Inequality,' argues that the wealth gap in the United States 'is holding us back' because it weakens consumer demand. 'If we want to restore growth, and therefore full employment and greater tax revenues,' we need to address this gap.
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Senator prods Gang of 8 to make middle class, deficit-cutting top priorities
As bipartisan talks to avoid a 'fiscal cliff' renew this week, a top Senate Democratic leader, Charles Schumer, warns negotiators that any plan that aims to cut taxes on the rich and also cut deficits is 'a trap,' and won't add up.
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Stefan Karlsson Are free markets the secret to Sweden's success?
Sweden stopped outperforming other countries after a dramatic leftist shift in economic policies, Karlsson writes.
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UBS whistleblower: IRS pays tax cheat informant $104M
UBS whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld was awarded $104 million by the Internal Revenue Service for providing information about overseas tax cheats. The UBS whistleblower is credited with exposing widespread tax evasion at the Swiss bank and was jailed after cooperating with authorities.
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AIG stock, $18B, to be auctioned by US Treasury Department
AIG stock owned by the US Treasury Department will be mostly unloaded, decreasing the Treasury Department's share to below majority stake. The $18 billion sale of AIG shares is the latest step to recoup taxpayer money spent on the bailout.
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The Reformed Broker A defense of the hedge fund industry. Really.
The hedge fund industry has its issues, but buying up Apple stock is not one of them.
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Donald Marron Economic data goofs make the case for metadata
Anyone can look at a set of data and misinterpret it. That's why it should be fleshed out with pertinent information.
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Robert Reich Faux populism, and a renewed appeal to the 'hardworking taxpayer'
Paul Ryan has been making a lot of speeches lately extolling the value of small government and lower taxes. But small government under the influence of big money would still be dominated by the interests of high rollers such as Sheldon Anderson and the Koch brothers.
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The Reformed Broker Bloggers riff on similariites between the music, investment 'biz'
Musicians and investment professionals have a lot in common. But, our resident investment expert claims, to say the best investors, like the best musicians, made it to the top through luck is wrong. Try telling Led Zeppelin they were just lucky, and see what happens.
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Robert Reich Will Romney's veep choice help focus the rhetoric on 'big issues?'
There has been a lot of (hopeful) talk in the past week that Romney's choice of Paul Ryan, a so-called "thinker" in the Republican party, will lead to more substantive debate. But Robert Reich thinks Romney’s choice won’t usher in a “real debate” about much of anything.
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The Reformed Broker Have we survived the Facebook lockup expiration?
While the Facebook IPO launch was less than the smash success no doubt CEO Mark Zuckerberg hoped it would be, the price of stock has sunk in such a way that it might actually be ready to start rising again.
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The Reformed Broker We've become accustomed to its face: Tax cuts and 'My Fair Lady'
With the Bush tax cuts set to expire in January, it seems there are far more problems than solutions when it comes to what we should be doing to try to control, and ultimately reverse, the effects of the recession.
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Economist Mom Politics 101: Don't talk about offsets on the campaign trail
Expect the candidates to get looser and looser about the “fiscally responsible” pieces of their policy proposals. Expect them to spell out only the goodies, not how they would pay for the goodies.
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Robert Reich When it comes to Medicare, which candidate's plan comes out on top?
President Obama's Affordable Care Act uses its Medicare savings to help children and lower-income Americans afford health care, according to Robert Reich, while the Romney-Ryan plan uses the savings to finance tax cuts for the very wealthy.
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Tax VOX Resurrecting the Ryan budget
While the Romney camp is sure to argue their candidate's fiscal policy is of his own making, his new running mate Paul Ryan’s more comprehensive and controversial plans will likely be a major campaign issue.
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