Summer 2016, No. 41

It was strange thing to do, just as the Internet age was roaring to life, to start a quarterly print journal. But that’s just what Kenneth Baer and Andrei Cherny decided the broad political left needed, as they explain in their essay in the closing pages of this, our Tenth Anniversary
issue. And here we are, a decade later, going, really, stronger than ever.

We run excerpts from nearly 40 of our pieces over the years, from the memorable ones like Elizabeth Warren’s article on the need for a consumer financial protection bureau (which of course now exists) to smaller gems like Martin Kettle’s sharp-eyed piece on Christopher Hitchens.

Elsewhere, we offer up a symposium on the accomplishments—and shortcomings—of the Obama Administration in the economic realm. Our friend and board member E.J. Dionne Jr. writes the introduction to that collection. Another friend and board member, Nick Hanauer, explains why the right needs people to believe that jobs go down as wages go up—it’s how they keep people from demanding their share. Suzanne Nossel, the executive director of PEN American Center, tackles the issue of the disturbing increase in autocrats cracking down on civil-society groups working in their countries and outlines a response. And we have what we think is a really interesting roundtable discussion featuring four progressive Muslim Americans—Representative Keith Ellison among them—offering their thoughts on the liberal roots of Islam and the situation the religion faces today in America.

Diane Coyle reviews Branko Milanovic’s new book on global inequality. Rob Stein, the founder of the Democracy Alliance, takes on Jane Mayer’s important new Koch brothers book. Brook Wilensky-Lanford consider the history of American utopian movements, and Richard Just responds to Joseph S. Nye’s essay from the last issue on America, the election, and the world.

Back Issues Archive

Symposium

Unfinished Business

The economy's made halting progress, but the recovery's leaving too many behind. A series of contributors take stock of where we've come in one part of the economy, and what's left to be done. E.J. Dionne Jr. introduces the symposiumDavid Cay Johnston on TaxesMehrsa Baradaran on Banks Caroline Fredrickson on Families Lenny Mendonca & Laura Tyson on Entrepreneurs Adam Zurofsky on Corporations Amy B. Dean on Workers

By The Editors

1 MIN READ

Still Too Many Left Behind

By E.J. Dionne Jr.

12 MIN READ

Taxes: Fund the IRS!

By David Cay Johnston

14 MIN READ

Corporations: The “Positive Discipline” Model

By Adam Zurofsky

14 MIN READ

Banks: A Broken Social Contract

By Mehrsa Baradaran

11 MIN READ

Workers: Stand with Labor

By Amy B. Dean

13 MIN READ

Entrepreneurs: Spread the Start-Up Wealth Around

By Lenny Mendonca Laura Tyson

10 MIN READ

Families: Paid Leave And a Lot More

By Caroline Fredrickson

11 MIN READ

Features

Pushing Back Against the Tyrants

How to counter the alarming authoritarian assault on civil society groups.

By Suzanne Nossel

27 MIN READ

Democracy's 10 Year Retrospective

A collection of our favorite essays and book reviews.

By The Editors

4 MIN READ

Islam And Liberalism

What are the progressive roots within Islam, and can they be strengthened? A roundtable discussion.

By Hassan Abbas Keith Ellison Asra Q. Nomani Ani Zonneveld

46 MIN READ

A Threat, Not a Theory

It’s simply not true that as wages go up, jobs go down. But trickle-downers need people to believe it.

By Nick Hanauer

22 MIN READ

Book Reviews

The Kochs’ Dangerous Game

What the Koch brothers have built isn’t a political network. It’s a trust. And it must be busted.

By Rob Stein

16 MIN READ

They Can Dream, Can’t They?

People laughed at utopians, but that hardly means they were failures who didn’t give us good ideas.

By Brook Wilensky-Lanford

14 MIN READ

Everyone’s Problem

The inequality crisis is truly global, and while fixes aren’t easy, neither are present trends inevitable.

15 MIN READ

Responses

Pragmatism Isn’t Enough

Sanity, pragmatism, and prudence are necessary. But are they sufficient? A response to Joseph S. Nye.

By Richard Just

9 MIN READ

Recounting

Democracy at 10

So much done. Yet so much more to do.

By Kenneth Baer and Andrei Cherny

7 MIN READ

Editor's Note

Editor's Note

Michael Tomasky introduces Issue #41.

By Michael Tomasky

2 MIN READ

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