Editor’s note: With Barack Obama about to secure his party’s presidential nomination, we asked several Democrats—in politics, academia and public-interest groups—to outline their recommendations for an Obama second-term agenda, assuming that Republicans control at least one house of Congress.
The Infrastructure and Retirement Imperatives
By Andy Stern
With the Republicans in control of one house of Congress, President Obama would face a challenge in his second term. But elections are mandates, and a victory in November would provide an opportunity to frame a more fundamental, rather than incremental, vision.
The top priority for the president should be to reaffirm his commitment to rebuilding the middle class by laying out a big, bold, pro-growth jobs agenda. It won’t be easy. Some congressional Democrats have incorrectly concluded that a 21st-century economy can be constructed disproportionately through taxation and regulation. Republicans have mistakenly transformed “the market” into an all-knowing deity to be worshiped and “freed” to function without regulation or oversight—it’s a back-to-the-future recipe for inequality and slower job growth. …
Join the conversation as a VIP Member