Tuesday, December 5
Markets and Inequality

ON INEQUALITY IN THE U.S.

from the right, David Brooks:
The Populist Myths on Income Inequality. The New York Times, September 7, 2006.

from the left, Paul Krugman:
Whining Over Discontent. The New York Times, September 8, 2006.

how much economic mobility is there, anyway?
The Rich Do Get Richer.  Slate, June 24, 2003.

the relationship between productivity and inequality:
The Height of Inequality. The Atlantic Monthly, September, 2006.

Glance at this recent analysis of income inequality in the U.S.:

Income Inequality Grew Across the Country Over the Past Two Decades, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBBP), January 26, 2006. (The link is to a press release; for those interested in more detail, the full report in pdf format is here.)

Also available: The CBBP's most recent analysis of census data on poverty and income (released Sept. 1, 2006).

OPTIONAL
(For Those Who Can't Get Enough Inequality)

Grounded by an Income Gap.  The New York Times, December 15, 2001. (economists try to explain why income inequality is so high in the U.S. -- but of course they disagree)

Income Inequality, and Its Cost.  The New York Times, June 25, 2006. (effects of inequality on the larger economy)

A series of Washington Post editorials on inequality, March-June 2006.

"Living wage" movement as possible approach:

'Living Wage' Roulette: A Bigger Paycheck, or a Pink Slip?  New York Times, May 19, 2002. (analyzes pros and cons of living wage laws)

'Living Wage' Is Good for Workers and Businesses  Washington Post, March 21, 2002. (op-ed piece by a small business owner supporting a living wage law in his Maryland county)

The Living Wage Gambit  Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2002. (editorial opposing proposed living wage law in New York City)