Professor of Economics, American University
Professor of Economics at American University and senior fellow at the Urban Institute
PROFILE
Robert Lerman
Guest
FROM Robert Lerman
To the Point
'Job One' for the President: Creating Jobs In America's "jobless" economic recovery, unemployment is setting records. The Obama Administration has adopted a long-term approach to creating new jobs . But the President has now conceded that "our friends, neighbors and family members are desperately searching for jobs," and has called for a Jobs Summit at the White House next month, partly in response to Democrats worried about next year's mid-term elections. Since the current increase in economic growth is not creating jobs the way it's supposed to, what about a more direct approach? In Germany, which gave birth to " Cash for Clunkers ," the government has kept unemployment down by subsidizing a work-sharing program. Are there other programs that can be borrowed from Europe? What about getting the banks to lend money?
Recommended
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?