From HBR, is what's good for Corporate America still good for America? A review of American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism 1865-1900 by H.W. Brands. Why is America so rich? America does seem to be special in important ways, but it's not always clear what those ways are. An article on the historical roots of inequality: Evidence from slavery in the US. How rich is rich? To accept the idea that those in the top two percent are not very privileged is to buy into the logic that has made the now grotesque levels of inequality in our country possible in the first place. Can exports save the American economy? Martha White on the most creative American exporters, and how their ideas could pull the economy out of the doldrums. What if the USA were (economically) like the Eurozone? Like many other countries, the US is buried under a pile of mounting debt — tunneling out will mean making some tough choices that can’t be put off much longer. A review of Turbulence: Boeing and the State of American Workers and Managers by Edward S. Greenberg, Leon Grunberg, Sarah Moore and Patricia B. Sikora. Imperial overreach, political polarization, and a costly financial crisis are weighing on the economy — some pundits now worry that America is about to succumb to the “British disease”. Jeff Madrick on the big lie about Social Security. With interest rates at record-lows, the U.S. government should borrow more to invest in infrastructure, not stop spending. McMansion economics: The typical American home has grown about 40% larger over the last 30 years, but what if homeowners downsized, freeing up income to be spent on education and health? A review of The Measure of America, 2010-2011: Mapping Risks and Resilience by Kristen Lewis and Sarah Burd-Sharps (and more).
