Fall 2014, No. 34

In our latest issue, we assembled the leading thinkers in the realms of regulation and the digital economy to chart a path for the future. How can government continue to play its proper role without strangling innovation in the crib? Cass Sunstein, Jessica Rosenworcel, John Mayo, Karen Kornbluh, Larry Downes, and Beth Noveck offer their ideas.

Also in the issue: Gara LaMarche scrutinizes the growing role of foundations in policy-making and asks how they can be held more accountable to the public. Susan Holmberg and Mark Schmitt look at the problem of excessive CEO pay and suggest a new approach. Ben Merriman examines how we regulate genetic research and argues there’s a better way. And MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid takes on the reform conservatives, who have been vocal on a lot of issues but have been notably silent on a big one: race.

In the books section, Jacob Weisberg reviews Rick Perlstein’s latest on Reagan. Karen Ho dives into the world of Wall Street. David France assesses the emerging literature on the fight for gay marriage. And Dayo Olopade probes one of the more interesting geopolitical moves of our time: China’s growing investment in Africa.

Back Issues Archive

Symposium

Regulating the Digital Economy

As the economy has become increasingly powered by innovations that seem to pop up by the day, government has failed to keep up. How can regulators protect the values of fairness, competition, and consumer protection without impeding innovation?

By The Editors

3 MIN READ

Sandbox Thinking

By Jessica Rosenworcel

9 MIN READ

Managing the Big Bang: The Regulator’s Dilemma

By Larry Downes

15 MIN READ

Beyond Ideology: A Results-Based Approach

By John W. Mayo

11 MIN READ

Beyond Borders: Fighting Data Protectionism

By Karen Kornbluh

17 MIN READ

Bridging the Knowledge Gap: In Search of Expertise

13 MIN READ

Democratizing Regulation, Digitally

By Cass R. Sunstein

12 MIN READ

Features

Democracy and the Donor Class

Foundations and philanthropists do much good, but these unelected actors have acquired enormous power to shape policy. Should they be reined in?

By Gara LaMarche

25 MIN READ

The Overpaid CEO

There have been many attempts to curb exorbitant executive pay. But we won't fix the problem until we address the nature of the corporation.

By Susan Holmberg

26 MIN READ

Genetic Code

Our regulatory regime for genetic research is a confusing thicket of rulings and guidelines. But there’s an elegant solution to the problem: copyright law.

By Ben Merriman

26 MIN READ

Book Reviews

A Bridge Too Far

Rick Perlstein’s account of Ronald Reagan’s rise acknowledges his popularity, but doesn’t take the reasons behind it seriously enough.

By Jacob Weisberg

13 MIN READ

The Pups of Wall Street

Greed is still good, it turns out, and not just on the Street, but in the elite schools that send young people there. Can this ever change?

By Karen Ho

15 MIN READ

Enter the Dragon

China has been making huge investments in Africa—and Africans have welcomed it. It’s productive for China, but what about Africa?

By Dayo Olopade

16 MIN READ

Stonewalled

Recent accounts of gay marriage’s march to legalization conspicuously leave out a key player: the movement that made it happen.

By David France

14 MIN READ

Responses

Race and the Reformicons

The reform conservatives are tackling a number of issues that could change their movement. But there’s one matter on which their silence is notable. A response to E.J. Dionne Jr.

By Joy-Ann Reid