Media

As we struggle to fully recover from the Great Recession, it has become increasingly clear that the wealthy not only recovered much more quickly than the rest of the country, they managed to increase their wealth even though most households saw a net loss. A new Pew report finds that during the first two years of the economic recovery, the mean net worth of households in the top 7 percent of wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28 percent, as shown in the graph below.

“I make $1,000 for the store in 30 minutes. But I don’t make $1,000 in a month working there.”

The quote is a paraphrase of a Victoria’s Secret worker. She, like 500 other retail and fast food employees in and around the Chicago Loop, isn’t at work today. They’re all on strike. (Follow #strikefor15 for the latest and photos)

Martin Smith, an Emmy-winning correspondent for PBS’Frontline, is worried about his retirement — and yours.
 

A longstanding gripe of conservatives is that big government has muscled aside civil society, taking on jobs -- like providing a safety net -- that are better left to charity. 

It’s not just happenstance: Women have a two-fold stake in campaign finance reform, particularly public financing of state campaigns for public office. Why? First, tamping down the influence that money can buy is a big step towards delivering positive change for women’s priorities.

As some New York state lawmakers consider publicly financed campaigns to thwart public corruption in state politics, a liberal-leaning public policy think tank has released a report showing how a voluntary public financing system in Connecticut has contributed to a more "representative and responsive" Legislature there since its implementation in 2008.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- There's nothing Deidre Duffy would rather do than host a backyard barbecue for a few friends.

"I don't want anything fancy," Duffy, 53, said in an interview next to her black Weber grill. "Give me some charcoal and I'm going to shoot those flames about six feet high, and when they come down -- it's my favorite thing."

In the better-late-than-never category, there's now a more subtle debate among economists about whether it's debt that tamps down economic growth or whether it's the slow growth that pushes up the debt. That's an important question, but it actually hides what may be an even more crucial one. Is growth in GDP really the best way to judge how the economy is doing? What does GDP actually tell us, and what does it leave out?

We were deeply saddened to learn today of the sudden passing of our friend and ally in the fight for a more inclusive democracy Bob Edgar, President of Common Cause. Our hearts go out to his family and friends as well as the board and staff at Common Cause.