Economic Dignity
Economic Dignity is Gene Sperling's effort to frame our thinking about the way forward in a time of wrenching economic change. His argument combines moral and intellectual seriousness with actual high-level policy experience. This book offers paths that policymakers and citizens can follow for years to come. As Sperling puts it, if you live in times when major steps forward are needed, it is important to be clear on your destination or at least to know the North Star that is guiding you. His answer, in two words, is economic dignity.
Praise for Economic Dignity
“A timely and important new book. It should be our North Star for the recovery and beyond.”
— Hillary Clinton
“Economic Dignity shakes up static debates about education, tax policy, labor, and American values, and it should galvanize actors across the political spectrum to reexamine our common purpose. In turn, this thoughtful take reminds us of our capacity for progress when we put people at the center—and defend the dignity of all.”
— Stacey Abrams
“In a time of ever more powerful technologies and growing economic uncertainty, we need to be clear on our values. Gene Sperling shows why economic dignity should be our end goal and provides a compelling program to bring it within the grasp of all Americans. economic dignity is a must-read for every policymaker, economist, and citizen.”
— Erik Brynjolfsson, Professor at MIT
“This book is an exemplary guide toward policies that promote not just employment and good wages, but also the life of purpose and meaning that has been lost to so many Americans in recent decades.”
— Professor Sir Angus Deaton, Nobel Laureate in Economics 2015
“Never have I come across a book that is so intellectually engaging, deeply compassionate, and solutions-oriented at the same time. Economic Dignity is all of those things on a topic as encompassing and defining as the economy.”
— Ai-jen Poo, Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
“Gene Sperling gets it. He understands that the Dignity of Work isn't just a political slogan—it's an ethos; it's who we are as progressives, and it's how we must govern. Defining and fighting for that dignity is at the heart of today's economic debates, and that makes Gene Sperling essential reading.”
— Senator Sherrod Brown