Austerity Comes to America

Austerity Comes to America

Posted by on May 20th, 2013
FedBudget

by Gerald Friedman
Economists at the University of Massachusetts and elsewhere have thoroughly discredited research suggesting that cutting government spending will promote economic growth during a time of recession.  Even while scholarship has exposed the fallacy of austerity economics and this news has reached wide audiences through Twitter and the Colbert Report, the United States government is embracing austerity’s policy prescriptions.  While employment has barely kept up with the growth of the [...] read more >

Posted in EconAtrocities/EconUtopias, Economics, Fiscal Policy, History of Thought, Monetary Policy/Federal Reserve, Political Economy | 1 Comment »

CPE Member Thomas Herndon on the Colbert Report!

Posted by on April 24th, 2013
Thomas Herndon

“Austerity’s Spreadsheet Error” - The Colbert Report
Curious for more details? Read the paper that started the fuss!

Posted in Economics, Fiscal Policy, News, Our Staff Economists in the Media! | 1 Comment »

Going Co-op!

Posted by on April 9th, 2013
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

by Anastasia Wilson
Think capitalism isn’t working? Several Massachusetts businesses agree and are doing something about it.
Real Pickles, Green River Ambrosia, and Katalyst Kombucha are fermenters of all kinds in Western Massachusetts, The Just Crust in Cambridge rises up by baking pizzas, and all of these businesses have transitioned into worker-owned cooperatives within the last few months.
A capitalist firm typically has a hierarchal structure of owners, bosses, and workers, with those on top [...] read more >

Posted in EconAtrocities/EconUtopias, Economic Democracy, Social/Solidarity Economy | 1 Comment »

Do Nanny States go broke?

Posted by on April 6th, 2013
Rick-Wolff

Bill O’Reilly thinks so. But Rick Wolff explains why this is not so in this interview clip from Democracy Now!

Posted in Economics, Fiscal Policy, News | No Comments »

Mondragon: How the world’s largest co-operative has weathered the economic storm

Posted by on March 28th, 2013
Fagor factory, Mondragon


 
This article from The Guardian explains how the Mondragon worker co-operatives of Spain have handled the economic crisis. (Spoiler: not by laying off workers.)

Posted in Social/Solidarity Economy, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Housing Economics Alternative Housing Models Workshop

Posted by on March 26th, 2013
SNOL

WEDNESDAY MARCH 27TH, 2013 @ 6:00 – 7:30 PM (Arrive by 5:45) 
640 PAGE BLVD, SPRINGFIELD, MA (Directions Here) 

Western Mass Jobs W/ Justice and the Center For Popular Economics are putting on a workshop that couldn’t be more timely – a popular ed workshop on alternative housing models. Springfield No One Leaves/Nadie Se Mude plans to bring many members and all are invited, especially Springfield Residents. As we continue to grow [...] read more >

Posted in Community Land Trust, Housing | 1 Comment »

Will the CFPB save us from the student loan crisis?

Posted by on March 21st, 2013
democr boa P1210509

by Anastasia Wilson

Last year student debt ballooned to $1 Trillion. Months earlier in the previous year, it surpassed outstanding credit debt in total, making it a substantial part of the American household debt portfolio. This year, policy discussion is finally taking place to tackle both ends of the problem: Federal and private student loan debts.
As the so-called student loan crisis loomed, the Obama administration began to make [...] read more >

Posted in Credit and Finance | 1 Comment »

The resilience of financial cooperatives

Posted by on March 21st, 2013
resilience pic

A new report from the ILO illustrates and explains the resilience of financial cooperatives. The report both traces the history of financial cooperatives since 1850 and takes an in depth look at their performance since the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

Posted in Credit and Finance, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Economic inequality and environmental protection

Posted by on March 17th, 2013

More at The Real News
In this interview on the Real News Network, James Boyce explains how economic inequality affects the environment. (Hint: it’s not good.)

Posted in Environment, Inequality, Our Staff Economists in the Media!, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Wealth Inequality in the U.S.

Posted by on March 11th, 2013

This chart (animated and explained in a short video) vividly depicts the distribution of wealth in the U.S., contrasting the actual distribution with people’s perceptions of inequality and their sense of what an ideal distribution might look like.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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