American Economy

Harvard political economist Robert Reich. He advised his good friend President-elect Bill Clinton on economic issues. He talks about the economic challenges facing Clinton.

New York Times correspondent Martin Tolchin and his wife Susan wrote "Selling Our Security." It examines the ways U.S. political leaders, especially during the Reagan-Bush years, have pursued laissez-faire policies to the extent that most of America's valuable technological secrets have been sold to other countries.

Professor of Political Science John Schwarz of the University of Arizona has just co-written a new book called "The Forgotten Americans: Thirty Million Working Poor in the Land of Opportunity." The authors challenge conventional wisdom: they found that the working poor are neither uneducated nor unskilled, that they encompass all age, ethnic, and racial groups in the U.S.; and that the situation can't necessarily be blamed on declines in domestic manufacturing or decreases in industrial productivity.

Economist Robert Heilbroner (rhymes with "runner"). He'll discuss the current recession, and our long-standing obsession with the deficit. He'll also give some suggestions about how to end the recession, and he'll tell us why sometimes a deficit isn't a bad thing.

Robert Greenstein ("stine" not "steen"), executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. His group has just released a new study that shows how many state's budget cuts have had meant a disproportionate cut in programs for the poor.

We examine the implications of the economic collapse with Washington Post reporter Jerry Knight.

Journalist James O'Shea is former chief economic correspondent for The Chicago Tribune. His book, "The Daisy Chain," is a case history of what went wrong with the Savings and Loans in this country. It looks at an S&L in Vernon, Texas owned by Don Dixon who was recently sentenced for defrauding regulators, illegally spending depositors' money, and other misdeeds.

The second of a two-part interview with the writer and political economist. Today, Reich discusses how the U.S. can improve its economic health in light of a shifting global landscape.

The first half of a two part interview with political economist Robert Reich. Reich's new book, "The Work of Nations," examines how new global realities have changed economic conditions for Americans. While many blue collar jobs go overseas, wealth in the U.S. has become concentrated in the top fifth of population.

Christopher Flavin is a senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington-based think tank that monitors the state of the environment. He believes President Bush's new energy policies miss several opportunities for reforms, including taxes which would promote greater conservation of resources.