Overview for weak-economy

Santorum's Flawed Plan for Working America

In my column for The Week I discuss the problems with Rick Santorum economic plan: Santorum's concern for the American middle class has been one of the most attractive features of his candidacy for the Republican nomination. Alone among the Republican candidates, he took note of the …

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Written by David Frum on Thursday January 5, 2012

The Problems With Stiglitz's Depression

What is wrong with Joe Stiglitz's analysis of the Great Depression? Click here for Part 1 . Problem 1: Repeat after me - The Great Depression was a global event. That's a fact American economic historians always have great trouble keeping in mind, and Stiglitz here succumbs to the national …

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Written by David Frum on Monday January 2, 2012

Stiglitz Rewrites the Great Depression

Joe Stiglitz's offers in the current Vanity Fair an arresting theory of both the Great Depression and the current economic malaise. Contra the (now) orthodox view propounded by Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz, Stiglitz argues that the Depression was not fundamentally a monetary event. …

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Written by David Frum on Monday January 2, 2012

Congressional Quagmire

The problem is bigger than the House of Representatives. The prior question is: why did the Senate adjourn having passed such a ridiculous thing as a two-month extension of the payroll tax holiday? It's the answer to that question that reveals the true dysfunction in Congress. The Senate …

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Written by David Frum on Tuesday December 20, 2011

Yes, Hotels Draw Job Seekers. So What?

Journalists need good, shocking examples of the country's still serious unemployment problems and one offered itself this past weekend when people filled out more than 16,000 applications for about 750 positions as a new Cleveland casino. The deluge of applications made for good TV and appeared …

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Written by Eli Lehrer on Monday December 19, 2011

What Keeps the American Dream Alive?

President Obama’s recent speech on income inequality and upward mobility has struck a chord with many Democrats. If the President keeps using this rhetoric, then it could become a central message of the 2012 campaign. If this happens, I would also bet that Elizabeth Warren will give the keynote …

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Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Friday December 16, 2011

Can My Generation Make More Zuckerbergs?

Galatea’ is a columnist writing about her experience looking for work after her recent downsizing. Previous entries in her series can be strong> read here

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Written by Galatea on Thursday December 8, 2011

The GOP Fumbles the Payroll Tax Cut

The Republicans have finally found a tax increase many of them can get behind. Unfortunately it's the first middle class tax increase in decades. Make no mistake, failure to renew the payroll tax cut would mean a significant tax increase. If nothing is done, then starting next month everybody …

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Written by Andrew Pavelyev on Monday December 5, 2011

Jobless, With Dwindling Options

‘Galatea’ is a columnist writing about her experience looking for work after her recent downsizing. Previous entries in her series can be strong> read here

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Written by Galatea on Tuesday November 29, 2011

The Doomed Generation

‘Galatea’ is a columnist writing about her experience looking for work after her recent downsizing. Previous entries in her series can be strong> read here

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Written by Galatea on Wednesday November 23, 2011

Res Judicata: Union Wages Hold Back Job Growth

The Department of Labor recently enacted a new rule requiring employers to post a notice advising employees of some of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. I say some, because the notice gives a one-sided presentation. Employees are told only what unions want them to know: they …

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Written by Howard Foster on Monday November 21, 2011

Fat and Unemployed is No Way to Live

‘Galatea’ is a columnist writing about her experience looking for work after her recent downsizing. Previous entries in her series can be strong> read here

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Written by Galatea on Saturday November 19, 2011

No Benefits for You!

‘Galatea’ is a columnist writing about her experience looking for work after her recent downsizing. Previous entries in her series can be strong> read here

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Written by Galatea on Thursday November 3, 2011

Now I'm Tempted By Dumpster Diving

‘Galatea’ is a columnist writing about her experience looking for work after her recent downsizing. Previous entries in her series can be span class="s1"> read here

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Written by Galatea on Tuesday November 1, 2011

An Idea For Republicans

In the 1990s, many Republicans took the problem of hard-core poverty seriously. (One of those poverty-conscious Republicans was Sen. Rick Santorum, now the one presidential candidate who takes seriously the data on faltering upward mobility in America.) In 1999 and 2000, candidate George W. …

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Written by David Frum on Friday October 28, 2011

How to Job Hunt on the Weekend

'Galatea' is a columnist writing about her experience looking for work after her recent downsizing. Previous entries in her series can be read here . My family is well bred for survival. We barely escaped political turmoil before coming to America. We clawed our way from poverty and welfare …

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Written by Galatea on Friday October 28, 2011

The Day I Was Fired

On Thursday, out of nowhere, Ed told me that they were letting me go. This was not how this conversation was supposed to go. I walked into my boss’s office of my own volition to talk about a long-term project. I was bright, and cheerful, and putting on the semblance of being happy. I wasn’t …

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Written by Galatea on Saturday October 22, 2011

They Wouldn't Occupy if They Had the Votes

If the Occupy Wall Street protestors represent ‘the 99%’ then why don’t they already dominate our government? Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street protests should create some concern. These are not the products of healthy politics. …

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Written by Chris Ladd on Tuesday October 18, 2011

Fresh Fertility Eggs for Sale

As I wait for the fertility specialist to print out the fifty pages of documents informing me about the process of selling one’s eggs—legal rights, psychological warnings, and medical disclaimers—I’m desperately left grasping for small talk. “I’m sorry that the printer is so slow, ” she …

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Written by Galatea on Saturday October 15, 2011