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China steps up as US steps back from global leadership

FLYNT L. LEVERETT, Pennsylvania State University and ROBERT SPRINKLE, University of Maryland Chinese President Xi Jinping’s appearance at last week’s World Economic Forum shows global leadership is shifting, not drifting, toward Beijing. The most vigorous defense of globalization and multilateral cooperation was mounted not by an American statesman, but by the president of the People’s … Continue reading China steps up as US steps back from global leadership

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The Real Value of Government Support for the Arts in the U.S.

BY JOANNE BERNSTEIN “May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.” —President John Adams, upon moving into the new White House. All of us who are passionate about the arts are repelled by our new administration’s promise to eliminate the NEA, the NEH, and government funding for PBS.  We know that cutting … Continue reading The Real Value of Government Support for the Arts in the U.S.

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Are We Kissing Democracy Goodbye?

BY PHILIP KOTLER & CHRISTIAN SARKAR – As President-Elect Trump and his “Corporate Cabinet” take over Washington – the American public will witness radical changes taking place in our institutions, policies, and regulations. These changes might undermine America’s position as the world’s leader over the past century. The billionaires and generals who make up Trump’s cabinet bring … Continue reading Are We Kissing Democracy Goodbye?

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What would Make America Great Again? The Battle Between Two Definitions of Greatness

BY PHILIP KOTLER – America’s greatness was recently challenged by Donald Trump who asserted that the U.S. had lost its greatness. His campaign slogan was “Make America Great Again.” He claimed that only he and his party could restore the country’s greatness. This raises the question: How can we define where a country ranks in its “greatness?”  I have long … Continue reading What would Make America Great Again? The Battle Between Two Definitions of Greatness

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What Populism? Trump’s America Is Party Time for the Corporate Elite

By ROBERT WEISSMAN “Trump has converted the GOP into a populist working-class party,” Trump advisor and far-right economist Stephen Moore told Republican members of Congress at a caucus meeting. Well, advisor Moore, meet the Trump transition team. The leader of the would-be populist working-class party has invited rogues’ gallery of insiders—corporate lawyers, investment fund managers, … Continue reading What Populism? Trump’s America Is Party Time for the Corporate Elite

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Democracy in Decline: An Interview with Phil Kotler

Philip Kotler’s upcoming book – Democracy in Decline: Rebuilding its Future describes 14 symptoms of a sick democracy: #1. Voter Literacy & Turnout  #2. Quality of Political Leadership  #3. Exceptionalism  #4. Public Trust  #5. Gridlock  #6. Money in Politics  #7. Gerrymandering  #8. Extremist Primaries  #9. The President vs. Congress  #10. Federal vs. State Governments  #11. Supreme Court vs. … Continue reading Democracy in Decline: An Interview with Phil Kotler

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Third Wave Capitalism – An Interview with John Ehrenreich

Where did the wheels come off our Democracy? by Christian Sarkar John Ehrenreich is an American author, academic, and clinical psychologist who has published books on health policy, US social policy, and US history. He is the author of Third Wave Capitalism: How Money, Power, and the Pursuit of Self-Interest have Imperiled the American Dream … Continue reading Third Wave Capitalism – An Interview with John Ehrenreich

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Capitalism at the Crossroads: An Interview with Stuart Hart

An interview with Stuart L. Hart – “the pioneer of sustainable business.” Hart is one of the world’s top authorities on the implications of sustainable development and environment for business strategy. He is currently the Grossman Chair of Sustainable Business at the University of Vermont. Previously, Hart founded sustainable MBA programs at Cornell, UNC, and … Continue reading Capitalism at the Crossroads: An Interview with Stuart Hart

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Why is it so difficult to rein in Wall Street?

BY SUHAIB RIAZ, University of Massachusetts Boston; Sean Buchanan, University of Manitoba, and Trish Ruebottom, Brock University Reforming Wall Street has become a key issue in the ongoing presidential primaries. Bernie Sanders in particular has used his rival’s close ties to the financial industry, including speaking fees and political donations, to suggest Hillary Clinton wouldn’t … Continue reading Why is it so difficult to rein in Wall Street?

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Why do we pretend Supreme Court justices are anything but political officials?

Eric Segall, Georgia State University The late Justice Antonin Scalia believed that the federal Constitution allows states to ban abortion, to prohibit consensual sex between two adults in the privacy of their home as well as same-sex marriage, to keep a prestigious state-funded military college all male and to start official legislative sessions (and high … Continue reading Why do we pretend Supreme Court justices are anything but political officials?

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Why presidential debates need real-time fact-checking

Ryan J. Thomas, University of Missouri-Columbia In a 2012 column, former New York Times public editor Arthur Brisbane asked his readers if the Times should be a “truth vigilante.” Clumsily worded and unnecessarily dramatic, Brisbane’s question pertained to something simpler: whether Times reporters should fact-check assertions made by subjects and sources in the text of … Continue reading Why presidential debates need real-time fact-checking