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Vol. 21 No. 9October 2010
Columns
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Back to Deadlock
Come next January, the great American impasse will be back in all its toxic splendor. -
Winning Ugly
The Obama presidency is far from over, but little survives of the original theory behind it. -
The Experience Gap
Obama's base still wants a positive political experience -- not just a set of policy positions. -
Steal This Author
In a few years, we'll be able to do without publishers.
Culture
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The Return of Keynes
There's more to John Maynard Keynes than the idea that government spending can end depressions -- but that's a good place to start. -
Higher Expectations
What are colleges for? Research, economic advancement, or making students more interesting? -
Lucky Louie
Why liberals love the acerbic comedian Louis C.K. -
Changing Faiths
Religious Americans are far more diverse, tolerant, and compassionate than the image of an evangelist upsurge would suggest.
Departments
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In the Loophole
Even with moderate tax increases, the rich find ways not to pay. -
Noted
Responses to "Gatekeepers" and "Uncertainly Wrong" -
Up Front
A note from the executive editor, the Parody, and "The Question" -
Is Obama Too Calm Before the Storm?
His staid reaction to the financial crisis may have won him the presidency, but too much complacency could cause him to lose it. -
The Enforcement Paradox
With their failure to enact immigration reform, Democrats risk turning their "emerging majority" into a permanent swing vote. -
The Return of Keynes
There's more to John Maynard Keynes than the idea that governemtn spending can end depressions -- but that's a good place to start.
Special Report
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Austerity: The False Cure
The formula of the deficit hawks will bring us a deeper recession, stunted social outlay, and a much tougher road back to fiscal balance. -
Deficit-Attention Disorder
What voters really think about deficits, debts, and economic recovery -
Economic Recovery and Fiscal Balance
We can finance both long-term fiscal balance and adequate investment -- without increasing taxes on the working middle class. -
On the Economics of Deficits
Most of the federal deficit is caused by the recession itself. To cure the slump, fix the financial system. -
The Federal Reserve We Need
It's the Fed we once had -- when a more democratically accountable bank was enlisted to patriotically finance America's war debt. -
Budget Cuts and Our Children's Future
Deficit hawks invoke the next generation, but an austerity program would balance the budget on the backs of America's most vulnerable parents and children. -
The Debate We Should Be Having
Austerity is perverse economics and self-defeating politics. Here are sensible alternatives. -
The Bipartisan Attack on Medicare
To fix Medicare, fix the larger inefficiencies in America's health-care system. -
The Investment Deficit
An economic recovery will bring down our fiscal deficit -- but the more important deficit is the shortfall in our commitment to the future. -
Social Security and the Deficit
Social Security is not part of the federal deficit: Even with no policy changes, it will be in balance for the next 26 years.
Features
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The Stalemate State
Those who argue that gridlock is a good check on partisanship haven't examined its policy consequences. -
Put to the Test
Genetic screening is more accessible than ever, and health-care providers are scrambling to catch up. -
Repeat Performance
When charter schools hold students back, is it helping them succeed in the long term -- or does it just improve short-term test results?
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Vol. 21 No. 8September 2010
Columns
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Our Progressive Populism
Populism comes in two varieties -- progressive and reactionary. -
The American City
Ragtime -- an innovative tableau of real and fictional events in the early 20th century -- legitimized the idea that the self-interested act can have an impact. -
Uncertainly Wrong
Republicans caused our economic uncertainty. Progressives have answers. -
The Forever Culture War
Even as we make progress on specific issues, the broader culture war seems to get uglier and uglier.
Culture
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California, Take Two
Any Golden-State governor, given California's political makeup and its constitutional arrangements, is condemned to failure. -
When It All Went Wrong
The 1970s were a decade of lost opportunities to reconstruct the New Deal order. -
The Change Game
Obama's election showed how much the country has changed; his governing has shown how much it hasn't. -
A Dirty Business
Cynically using science to stall policy is the research equivalent of filing frivolous legal motions. -
Humanoid Rights
The ACLU looks to science fiction to prepare for future threats to civil liberties.
Departments
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Finding Our Inner Republican
The GOP's website reminds us how grand the old party used to be -- eons ago. -
Noted
Responses to Kevin Mattson's "Forget Populism" and a note from the executive editor -
Up Front
Longer schooldays, October surprises from Republicans, and The Question
Special Report
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A Long Haul
How the government's policy to modernize trucks collides with its policies to promote high-wage jobs -
The Power to Act
There is well-established legal authority for much stronger presidential action to promote good jobs. -
The Hands That Feed Us
Some of the worst abuses are in food-processing and farming work -- where government is a huge purchaser. -
Care for the Caregivers
Child-care providers have long been thought of as full-time baby sitters. Government can make them well-paid professionals. -
Rewards in the Rubble
With the right policies, turning foreclosed properties into decent homes could provide high-wage employment. -
The Case for Presidential Action
There is a lot the administration can do without legislation. -
The Path to a High-Wage Society
The explosion of low-wage jobs is due, for the most part, to the declining bargaining power of America's employees. -
Holding Wal-Mart Accountable
The road to unionized Wal-Mart runs through obscure towns where workers are abused in hidden warehouses. -
Sweatshop Army
Why does the Pentagon use low-road companies to feed and clothe our troops?
Features
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Gatekeepers
Is giving away money -- and lots of it -- really the best way to change the world? -
Whose Media Bias?
Progressives' attempt to reshape the media has had some successes, but the failures may be more instructive.
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Vol. 21 No. 7August 2010
Columns
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A 20-Year Odyssey
Since the Prospect began publication as a quarterly with a circulation of 2,700, it's been a forum for inspired argument, both with the right and within the liberal family. -
Who Owns Freedom?
Do liberals take civil liberties seriously enough? -
Whoa, Mama
Palin and her ilk claim to speak for moms but offer no policy solutions for working families. -
Fire on the Left
Tea Partiers are getting all the press, but it's the anger on the left that spells trouble for Dems in the midterms.
Departments
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The Middle Man
Lessons from life in Washington's ideological gray zone. -
Where Race Isn't Off-Limits
Talking about race as if it were a thing apart is to deny the central role it plays in nearly every aspect of American life. -
Noted
Responses to Heather Rogers' "Slowed Good Revolution," Lisa Guernsey's "A Place for Play," and a note from Prospect Executive Editor Mark Schmitt -
Up Front
Tweets to avoid at work, what to do if the GOP pulls off a landslide in November, and The Question -
Meet Eliseo Medina
SEIU's new secretary-treasurer is a champion of immigrant rights and an innovator in the fight to unionize marginalized service-industry workers.
Special Report
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The Next Health-Reform Campaign
Supporters of reform knew they had to battle to get it passed. Now they need to wage another campaign to implement it. -
Unleashing Restraint
Health reform won't stop costs from rising in the short term, but it lays the groundwork for long-run control of spending. -
Getting Insurers to Behave
Job No. 1: Write new rules for health insurers and make sure they follow them. -
The Opportunities of CLASS
A new insurance program for long-term care holds great possibilities -- and challenges. -
Turning the States From Adversaries Into Partners
The states came out as winners in the Affordable Care Act, though some don't seem to realize it. -
Can Reform Spell Relief?
A long search for a national "pain care" policy yields a modest step in public health. -
National Reform Meets Politics in the States
States are beginning to carry out the law in different ways -- or not at all. -
Health Reform 2.0
If reform is to succeed, progressives will have to fight for a stronger government role, including a public option. -
A Public Plan for Connecticut?
Despite political and financial hurdles, Connecticut is moving forward with its own state-level public option. -
The Cost of Delayed Reform
The temporary federal high-risk pools won't reach most of the medically uninsured. -
La Próxima Campaña de Reforma de Salud
Los partidarios de la reforma sabían que tenían que luchar para lograr su aprobación. Ahora necesitan llevar a cabo otra lucha para cumplir las promesas de la ley. -
Reform's Mixed Impact on Immigrants
The new law's implications seem clear, but the indirect effects could be critical. -
Impactos Dispares de la Reforma sobre los Inmigrantes
Las consecuencias de la nueva ley parecen claras, pero los efectos indirectos podrían ser críticos. -
The Preventive Turn in Health-Care Reform
Promoting preventive care and public health carries both promise and risk.
20th Anniversary
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A 20-Year Tug-of-War
Neither liberals nor conservatives have been able to claim lasting power. But we have an advantage: real solutions. -
Reading Progressive History Through the Prospect
Good policy can be smart politics -- that's the idea behind this magazine. -
All Politics Is Identity Politics
We can't forget that ideology is shaped by personal experience. -
The Enduring Relevance of Affirmative Action
When diversity became a positive, race-based preferences overcame the backlash. -
The Real Liberal Elite
Now that more liberals are as rich as Republicans, do we risk forgetting the poor and working families? -
The Right Way to Please the Base
What the left can learn from right-wing extremists
Features
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Many Paths to Victory
While Republicans try to make all races national in the 2010 election, Democrats have as many strategies as they do candidates. -
Many Paths to Victory: Texas
While Republicans try to make all races national in the 2010 election, Democrats have as many strategies as they do candidates. Will any of these approaches work in a tough year for incumbents? -
Forget Populism
"The people" are no more virtuous or incorruptible than elites. -
Many Paths to Victory: Florida
While Republicans try to make all races national in the 2010 election, Democrats have as many strategies as they do candidates. Will any of these approaches work in a tough year for incumbents? -
Will Republicans Blow It?
Tacking right doesn't always guarantee victory on Election Day. -
Globalizing Reform
America's top financial diplomat works to save the world from our mistakes. -
Many Paths to Victory: South Dakota
While Republicans try to make all races national in the 2010 election, Democrats have as many strategies as they do candidates. Will any of these approaches work in a tough year for incumbents?
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Vol. 21 No. 6June 2010
Columns
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Boring Politics, Please
The American political system wasn't built to handle showdowns, culture wars, crises of legitimacy, or bids for total power. -
Books on Film: Remembering Andrew Sarris
Growing up in Movieland -
The Two Conservatisms
The Tea Party is more flagrant, but the austerity movement is more insidious. -
Oil Spillover
A headline-dominating oil spill certainly should catalyze big changes in the way we power our country and regulate corporations.
Culture
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Old Image, New Portrait
Treating an entire population as being of one mind can obscure more than it reveals. -
Let's Call It All Off
Charles Kupchan aims to give U.S. policy-makers a roadmap to a more restrained and sustainable foreign policy. -
Outsider Art
Dissident filmmakers debate: Should they stay or should they go? -
Our Common-Law Constitution
People approve of an evolving Constitution mainly when it evolves in the direction they want it to go.
Departments
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Up Front
GOP talking points on Elena Kagan, liberal guilt over zoos, and The Question -
The End of Capitalism
The financial world and its would-be regulators struggle to understand the flash crash. -
Noted
Responses to Harold Meyerson's "Work History," Robert Johnson's "Reform and its Obstacles," and a note from Prospect Executive Editor Mark Schmitt.
Special Report
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Missing Out on Reading
Children can't learn to read if they're not in school -- and chronic absenteeism is a problem we can fix. -
Health Education
Glasses and eye tests are just one of the ways in which the new health-reform law will help kids read. -
Reading for Life
Learning to read by third grade is a goal that can organize everything we do for kids. -
Literacy Begins at Birth
An agenda for early education can't wait for kindergarten -- the first five years matter, too. -
A Place for Play
Why reading programs must combine playful learning with direct instruction -
There's No Such Thing as a Reading Test
Real literacy involves learning about the world, not just letters and sounds. -
Lessons From New Jersey
Providing poor children with stable, high-quality preschool and kindergarten will make them higher performers.
Features
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Organic Solutions
What would meaningful assistance for unconventional farmers look like? -
Slowed Food Revolution
Obama seeks to boost demand for organic food but doesn't offer meaningful support for the people who grow it. -
The Reverse Commute
The Obama administration is trying to rein in suburban sprawl. But is it any match for 70 years of unsustainable development? -
Washington's I.T. Guy
One man's quest to liberate all government information -- with or without the government's help -
Everyday Corruption
The policy-making process has become an extension of the market battlefield. -
The Next Power Triangle
Why America's future partners in the Middle East should be Turkey and Iran -- yes, Iran.
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Vol. 21 No. 5May 2010
Columns
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Courting Diversity
Can we insist that diversity matters and still express disappointment when the conversation is overly focused on a nominee's identity? -
The Next Phase
Presidents build their ability to govern by governing, and now is the moment when policy smarts pay off. -
Better Than Tea
Let the Republicans drink the Tea Party's brew. Progressives shouldn't wish for the equivalent. -
Beyond Limits
Sometimes, to understand man, we need to look to the stars.
Culture
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Who's Afraid of Tariq Ramadan?
Islam's most prominent internal critic is not a double agent for extremism. -
The Ultimate Sunblock
Schemes to reverse climate change through geoengineering attract an odd cast of characters. -
The Private-Equity Time Bomb
Private buyouts have sucked the value out of hundreds of firms, leaving them in debt and at risk. -
Renaissance Fair
In an era when female artists top the music charts, do we need a women's music festival?
Departments
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Noted
Responses to Peter Dreier's piece on "Lessons From The Health Care Wars," Spencer Ackerman's piece on The Obama Doctrine, and Alex Halperin's "Drill, Maybe Drill?", plus a note from Prospect executive editor Mark Schmitt. -
Noted
Responses to Peter Dreier's "Lessons from the Health-Care Wars," Spencer Ackerman's "The Obama Doctrine Revisited," and a note from Prospect executive editor Mark Schmitt. -
Three Reasons a GOP Landslide Won't Happen
Come November, Democrats will still be stronger than the troubled GOP. -
Up Front
Gov. Bob McDonnell's favorite holidays; taxing the vain; and The Question. -
Camp Gitmo
A journalist's first field trip to the infamous prison.
Special Report
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No More Phony Accounting
Cooked books helped produce the collapse -- and the fakery continues. -
Consumer Protection as Systemic Safety
If we safeguard consumers, we also save the entire financial system from its own excesses. -
Too Big for Us to Fail
We need counterweights not just to Wall Street's toxic products but to its malign influence. -
Banking on Presidential Leadership
Obama's engagement salvaged health reform. Can his personal intervention achieve what's needed on financial reform? -
Reform and Its Obstacles
There is no mystery about how to simplify the financial system. The main obstacles are political. -
Cleansing the Temple
Can financial reforms straighten out one of America's most byzantine institutions, the Federal Reserve? -
Shadow Banking
Reforms pending in Congress would not touch the abuses of hedge funds and private equity. -
Simplifying Securitzation
With a better system, the economy can have plenty of credit without the outlandish risks and excess banker profits. -
Watching the Watchers
The corruption of credit-rating agencies was at the heart of the financial collapse. So far, Congress has not had the nerve to pursue fundamental reform. -
Coalition of the Unwilling
Diverse individuals and businesses are hurt by the financial system. Can they coalesce? -
Out of the Black Hole
Reining in the reckless market in over-the-counter derivatives. -
Sand in the Gears
The case for a tax on financial speculation.
Features
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Safe Words
In recent decades the government has stopped urging Americans to have safe sex. Now, we're seeing the consequences. -
Work History
FDR created millions of jobs in just a few months' time, but the same feat would be impossible today. -
Making Bank
Regulatory agencies are looking to simple savings accounts to lift consumers out of poverty. -
Guilt by Association
A network of organizations that uses environmental concerns to justify anti-immigration views is now courting liberals.
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