Wanna Fix California’s Wage Inequality?

First, Forget Everything You’ve Ever Heard About It

The wage gap between rich and poor Californians is rising to the top of the political agenda in 2014. In December, the state legislature formed a caucus to end poverty and inequality in California that will be chaired by State Senator Mark DeSaulnier. City officials in San Francisco and Los Angeles have pledged to tackle the issue. Major private foundations and think tanks cite wage inequality as among their major priorities in the new year.

Much of the activity on wage inequality has coalesced around the same narrative. Wage inequality, the …

by Michael Bernick | January 10, 2014

The Office Party Has Left the Strip Club

This Was a Year to Celebrate Women’s Victories in the Workplace. New GM CEO Mary Barra Is Just One Example of How Far We’ve Come.

by Liza Mundy | December 20, 2013

“At least we don’t have office parties in strip clubs anymore,” mused a college friend of mine over a recent end-of-year lunch. She entered a bank training program in the …

Are College Savings Just for Rich Folks?

529 Accounts Are Based on Tax Incentives That Benefit Only Wealthy, But There’s Room for Improvement

by Rachel Black | December 10, 2013

College costs have exploded in recent years, and California has been at ground zero. The College Board estimates that tuition and fees for four-year schools in the UC system have …

Why Liberals Are Out of Ideas

Success, Healthcare, the 99 Percent, and Economic Trouble Have Made New Thinking Harder—And Even More Important

by Mark Schmitt | November 21, 2013

American progressives are in despair over the present state of politics and the dashed and blocked plans of the Obama administration, but they are upbeat about the future. They rest …

Could the Riots Make Sweden a Better Democracy?

I Love My Adopted Country. But Democracy Can’t Be All Top-Down.

by Bruno Kaufmann | May 29, 2013

I moved to Sweden 26 years ago, a Swiss native and journalist following his wife home to Falun. I became a citizen in 2000 and feel the country is my …