March 29, 2024

Room For Debate: Can the Middle Class Be Rebuilt?

Introduction

job fairTony Dejak/Associated Press A job fair in Independence, Ohio, in August.

This stubborn downturn seems to be the theme of the week, and everyone is weighing in: Mitt Romney outlined his economic proposals on Tuesday, the other Republican presidential candidates will sound off at a debate on Wednesday, and President Obama is expected to talk about jobs and taxes on Thursday.

Many of the proposals floating around are aimed at restoring the average American’s spending power. But the erosion of consumer spending is partly a symptom of deeper shifts, trends that predate the recession: the nation’s widening income gap and the erosion of jobs that pay enough to give people a toehold in the middle class.

How should the government respond to these long-term changes in the American economy? Should policy makers strive to rebuild the middle class with middle-paying jobs? If that is a lost battle, what is the alternative path to recovery?

 Read the Discussion »

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Topics: Barack Obama, Economy, Jobs, Mitt Romney, Politics, unemployment

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Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=079e154389cce83c0073c8a4b4a50bc5

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