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February 07, 2007

It's the economy, really.

Roundup of memes.

For your consideration, I present three recent items from three distinctly different realms, all suggesting that economic fairness and security will be the winning themes in the coming years. The Nation, The Federal Reserve Board, and NPR (even President Bush) are talking about the danger of the widening income gap.

From The Nation, February 12, 2007: The Way Down South: A Populist Route to Democratic Revival by Bob Moser.

The populist resurgence of 2006 suggests a way past the false dilemma Democrats have long believed they faced: Either ditch the South, or try to compete there with a "me too" message. Rather than attempt to "neutralize" the GOP Southern strategy by mimicking it, Webb, Yarmuth and McCaskill--all strongly prochoice, antiwar and outspokenly opposed to wedge issues like anti-gay marriage initiatives and restrictions on stem-cell research--reasserted economic fairness as the central "moral" issue of politics. That will be key not only to attracting moderate evangelicals increasingly fed up with the narrowness and corruption of Republican "values" but also to firing up black voters in the South, who take a back seat to no one as strong Bible believers. A fresh, progressive "moral populism" could also help sway a lasting majority of Hispanics into the Democratic fold.

The Federal Reserve Board, Remarks by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke Before the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Omaha, Nebraska. February 6, 2007: The Level and Distribution of Economic Well-Being

Thus, these three principles seem to be broadly accepted in our society: that economic opportunity should be as widely distributed and as equal as possible; that economic outcomes need not be equal but should be linked to the contributions each person makes to the economy; and that people should receive some insurance against the most adverse economic outcomes, especially those arising from events largely outside the person's control.

One recent study shows that Americans on the top rung of the income ladder, the top 1 percent, now command nearly 20 percent of the nation's income. That's more than twice the share that group received three decades ago.

Posted by Catherine at February 7, 2007 06:09 AM

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Posted by: yardman5508 at February 7, 2007 07:48 AM

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