Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future

Robert B. Reich

Vintage Books, 2011 - Business & Economics - 174 pages

Updated for paperback publication, Aftershock is a brilliant reading of the causes of our current economic crisis, with a plan for dealing with its challenging aftermath.

When the nation's economy foundered in 2008, blame was directed almost universally at Wall Street bankers. But Robert B. Reich, one of our most experienced and trusted voices on public policy, suggests another reason for the meltdown. Our real problem, he argues, lies in the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of the richest Americans, while stagnant wages and rising costs have forced the middle class to go deep into debt. Reich's thoughtful and detailed account of where we are headed over the next decades--and how we can fix our economic system--is a practical, humane, and much-needed blueprint for restoring America's economy and rebuilding our society.

Contents

• The Pendulum: 1
• PART I: 9
• Eccless Insight: 11
• Parallels: 18
• The Basic Bargain: 28
• How Concentrated Income at the Top Hurts the Economy: 32
• Why Policymakers Obsess About the Financial Economy Instead of About the Real One: 38
• 19471975: 42
• How We Got Ourselves into the Same Mess Again: 50
• The Three Coping Mechanisms: 60
• The Future Without Coping Mechanisms: 64
• Why China Wont Save Us: 69
• No Return to Normal: 75
• The 2020 Election: 79
• Why Cant We Be Content with Less?: 85
• Adding Insult to Injury: 92
• Outrage at a Rigged Game: 101
• The Politics of Anger: 114
• A New Deal: 127
• How It Could Get Done: 141
• Acknowledgments: 147
• Index: 163

About the author

Robert B. Reich is Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton. He has written twelve books, including "The Work of Nations, " which has been translated into twenty-two languages, and the best seller "Supercapitalism." His articles have appeared in "The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, " and "The Wall Street Journal." He is also cofounding editor of "The American Prospect" magazine and provides weekly commentaries on public radio's "Marketplace." He lives in Berkeley and blogs at www.robertreich.org.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future
• Author: Robert B. Reich
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Vintage Books, 2011
• ISBN: 0307476332, 9780307476333
• Length: 174 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Banks & Banking; Business & Economics / Economic Conditions; Political Science / Political Economy; Political Science / Public Policy / Economic Policy; Social Science / Sociology / General