All Robert Reich
- The Supreme Court's unpopularity could help Obamacare
The US Supreme Court is facing growing disdain from the American public, increasing the odds that the majority will uphold constitutionality of President Obama's health care mandate.
- Why we have to end the Bush tax cuts and raise taxes on the rich
America has a huge budget deficit hanging over our heads. If the rich don’t pay their fair share, the rest of us have to pay higher taxes — or do without vital public services like Medicare, Medicaid, Pell grants, food stamps, child nutrition, federal aid to education, and more.
- In the age of super PACS, campaign dollars are becoming harder to trace
Big corporations and Wall Street are also secretly funneling big bucks into front groups like the US Chamber of Commerce that will use the money to air anti-Obama ads, while keeping secret the identities of these firms.
- America's high wire act: The economic recovery stalls
According to today's jobs report, the nation is perilously close to falling into another recession as the unemployment rate rises for the first time in almost a year and the latest payroll survey shows minimal growth.
- US wages and Europe's austerity: the perfect storm
What if Europe and the US converged on a set of economic policies that brought out the worst in both – European fiscal austerity combined with a declining share of total income going to workers? Given political realities on both sides of the Atlantic, it is entirely possible.
- How to avoid austerity but still fix the deficit
As Europe has shown us, austerity is bad for weak economies facing large budget deficits. But it can be avoided by getting growth and jobs back first, and only then tackling budget deficits.
- Memorial Day: the defense America needs
The best way to honor Memorial Day is to fund a rational defense budget. That means eliminating arms contracts that enrich contractors without advancing America's defense
- Obama and Cory Booker: Fairness is essential to growth
Fairness isn’t inconsistent with growth; it’s essential to it. The only way the economy can grow and create more jobs is if prosperity is more widely shared.
- Obama should attack what Bain and JPMorgan have in common
Rather than lobbing generalized attacks at Mitt Romney and American business, Obama should attack a particular kind of capitalism that Romney and JPMorgan both practice: using other peoples’ money to make big bets which, if they go wrong, can wreak havoc on the economy.
- Mitt Romney's skewed praise of Bill Clinton
Mitt Romney has been praising Bill Clinton even as he heaps scorn on Obama, trying to associate himself with someone more popular and court the white male vote. It might backfire.
- Obama's disappointing response to JPMorgan Chase
Even if he didn't want to criticize Jamie Dimon, the president could have used the occasion of JPMorgan Chase's $2 billion trading loss to come out squarely in favor of tougher financial regulation. He didn't.
- JPMorgan collapse: Can we regulate Wall Street now?
JPMorgan Chase & Co., the nation’s largest bank, announced Thursday that it had lost $2 billion in risky trades over the past six weeks. It adds fuel to the argument that Wall Street needs to be more heavily regulated.
- Forget gay marriage. America's real problem is in its boardrooms.
In pushing legislation to ban same-sex marriage and limit women's reproductive rights, Republicans are avoiding a much bigger issue: what's going on in the country's corporate boardrooms.
- Jobs report: The stall has arrived
Friday’s jobs report for April was even more disappointing than March. This is bad news for millions of Americans.
- What Obama's plan for fixing the economy should be
'We’re on the right track' isn’t a sufficient plan. The President has to offer the nation a clear, bold strategy for boosting the economy.
- Citigroup shareholders revolt. Will CEO pay drop?
Citigroup's shareholders have said no to an exorbitant pay package for the bank's CEO, and why shouldn't they? Executive pay across American companies has ballooned to unacceptable levels, without the performance to back it up.
- Income inequality highlighted on Tax Day
Income inequality is at its worst in nearly a century, with the highest earners paying low tax rates in the face of a massive federal deficit and crumbling public services. To lessen income inequality, we must curb the political power of the very rich.
- For the economy to grow, it has to be fair
Despite what you'll hear on the campaign trail in the next few months, there is no necessary tradeoff between fairness and economic growth. History shows that higher taxes on the wealthy would mean a healthier economy for everyone else.
- How does the uber-wealthy Romney pay so little in taxes?
Romeny's low tax rate, and how he achieved it, provides an important lesson in how tax laws need to change.
- Why the 'Buffett rule' isn't enough
A 30 percent overall tax rate for millionaires still sets the bar too low, in light of the grim budget realities facing the country.