President Obama today announced the appointment of Gene Sperling as the new director of the National Economic Council. Readers who are wondering what to expect from Sperling can find their answer in the pages of this journal.

Democracy published “Rising-Tide Economics” by Sperling in our Fall 2007 issue. The essay offers a succinct survey of the ideas and philosophy of the president’s new top economic aide.

In the piece, Sperling assailed trickle-down economics and articulated his outlook on a range of issues, from trade to jobs to health care. He argued that “growth alone is not enough. For Americans, shared prosperity, an opportunity for upward mobility, and economic outcomes determined more by merit than the accident of birth are fundamental to who we are as a nation.”

To read “Rising-Tide Economics,” click here.