Week 5-8

Schedule by Weeks

Week 5 (Sept. 21 - Sept. 23)

Topic
The Growth of Inequality

Overview

Reich traces the emergence of a new occupational structure in the United States. This new occupational structure has emerged in response to the processes of economic restructuring that we have so far been discussing in this course. In this class, we will examine recent date on inequality in the United States. To what extent have the patterns discussed in Reich continued? We will also touch on the normative aspects of inequality. To what extent is the growth of inequality problematic for American society? In what sense is it not?

Readings
Reich, 171-84; 196-224
Reserve: Recent economic data (material from web)
Moore, "Debating American Values" moore1.pdf .
NOTE: You must have activated your FGCU student email/network account to access electronic reserves. You can do that at the Student Services web site. After activating your account, click on the links to the reserve articles and when prompted, use the following login and password:

Login or user name: fgcu-student\FGCU student email user name

Password: FGCU student email password

Activities and Assignments
On the WebBoard you will see several proposals for your consideration. With respect to each of these, use the Moore article to identify the arguments for and against these proposals. Comment on two of the three proposals.

During the 1930s, Franklin Roosevelt said that no American should be able to keep more than $25,000 of what they earn each year (in today's terms, that would be the equivalent of $200,000). Drawing on Roosevelt, politicians propose to restore progressivity to the U.S. tax structure by taxing earnings over $200,000 at a rate of 90%.

Politicians claiming to represent America's battered middle class put forward a fair earnings proposal. The proposal attempts to correct for the inequalities of the market place. Under it, the earning of socially useful workers would be boosted while those of celebrities and top corporate executives would be lowered.

A community rights movement sweeps the nation. Its proponents argue that capital should be subject to local controls rather than globally mobile. This way, capital will work in everyone's interest.

Due: Post to WebBoard no later than midnight Thursday, Sept. 23.

Week 6 (Sept. 28 - Sept. 30)

Topic
Secession of the Successful

Overview

Reich writes about the secession of the successful as a process whereby the affluent uncouple themselves from the rest of society. The Kaplan chapter provides an illustration of how this process has unfolded in the St. Louis metropolitan area. What connections can be drawn between Kaplan and Reich's accounts?

Readings
Reich, 243-300
Reserve: Kaplan, "The Average American City" (Kaplan1.pdf)
NOTE: You must have activated your FGCU student email/network account to access electronic reserves. You can do that at the Student Services web site. After activating your account, click on the links to the reserve articles and when prompted, use the following login and password:

Login or user name: fgcu-student\FGCU student email user name
Password: FGCU student email password

Activities and Assignments
In "The Average American City," Robert Kaplan takes the reader on a tour of metropolitan St. Louis. The tour can be broken down into the following components:
1. The suburbs (31-5)
2. University city (35-7)
3. North St. Louis (37-42)
4. Corporate downtown (42-45)
The question for this week: how does each element of Kaplan's tour of downtown St. Louis reflect Reich's discussion of the secession of the successful? To answer this question successfully, you will have to apply Reich's arguments to Kaplan's discussion of St. Louis.
Due: Post to WebBoard no later than midnight Thursday, Sept. 30.

Week 7 (Oct. 5 - Oct. 7)

Topic
The Role of Government

Overview

This section presents a debate on the role of government in contemporary society. According to many, globalization signifies a declining role for the state. Not at all, suggests the Economist. From its view, the state enjoys &endash; unfortunately - a robust future. Students should be able to identify the mechanisms through which the states in the industrialized world continue to grow. The Economist does not turn a cold shoulder to social problems, but advocates market based solutions to our problems. It also offers an ethical framework of understanding assessing the role of the state. Students should be able to grasp all of these points and relate them to the arguments that Reich makes.
Now what about Reich? The arguments he makes in these articles are similar to the major thesis of his book. Deepening class divisions are leading to a secession of the successful and a consequent erosion of national purpose. Only now the argument is made from a different point in time &endash; the end of the 1990s rather than at their beginning. From this vantage point, Reich is able to provide an assessment of the Clinton's administration's failure to pursue a third way in American politics. He is also able to point to a continuation of the trends discussed in The Work of Nations. The need for a new social compact remains and the difficulty of implementing such as an agenda has become plain to see.
In what sense do Reich and the Economist make conflicting claims? The Economist would undoubtedly see Reich's call for public investment as yet another stimulant to the relentless growth of the state. Reich would regard the Economist's advocacy of small government as yet another manifestation of the rich cutting short its obligations to the non-affluent. The debate between Reich and the Economist might be clarified if we think in terms of consequences. Can income inequality grow indefinitely without doing serious harm to American society? Can the growth of government spending continue indefinitely without doing serious harm to the American economy?

Readings
Economist, "Survey of the World Economy: The Future of the State"
Reserve: Reich, "We Are All Third Wayers Now" (Reich1.pdf)
Romer, "Egalitarian Strategies"

Activities and Assignments
Web activity: Pick two of the egalitarian strategies discussed in the Roemer article. Using all three of our sources for this week, develop the case for and against implementing these strategies. Conclude by articulating your own views on whether these strategies should be pursued. Due: Post to WebBoard no later than midnight Thursday, Oct. 7.
First paragraph of mid-term essay due next Tuesday; rest due on Thursday, Oct. 14.

Week 8 (Oct. 12 - Oct. 14)

Topic
Mid-term essay due Thursday, 10/14 by 5 PM. Hard copies only (no email or faxes) in office by 5 PM.

Activities and Assignments

For Tuesday, Oct. 12, come to class with a copy of the first paragraph to your midterm essay. This paragraph should indicate your major thesis; it should also outline the way in which you intend to develop this thesis in the paper. We will undertake peer evaluations of these initial paragraphs. An important part of this evaluation will be to focus on the possible objections that could be posed to the arguments that you develop in your paper. How would you respond to these? This will be an important component of the midterm exam

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Topic	The Growth of Inequality
Overview	Reich traces the emergence of a new occupational structure in the United States. This new occupational structure has emerged in response to the processes of economic restructuring that we have so far been discussing in this course. In this class, we will examine recent date on inequality in the United States. To what extent have the patterns discussed in Reich continued? We will also touch on the normative aspects of inequality. To what extent is the growth of inequality problematic for American society? In what sense is it not?
Readings	Reich, 171-84; 196-224 Reserve: Recent economic data (material from web) Moore, "Debating American Values" moore1.pdf . NOTE: You must have activated your FGCU student email/network account to access electronic reserves. You can do that at the Student Services web site. After activating your account, click on the links to the reserve articles and when prompted, use the following login and password: Login or user name: fgcu-student\FGCU student email user name Password: FGCU student email password
Activities and Assignments	On the WebBoard you will see several proposals for your consideration. With respect to each of these, use the Moore article to identify the arguments for and against these proposals. Comment on two of the three proposals. During the 1930s, Franklin Roosevelt said that no American should be able to keep more than $25,000 of what they earn each year (in today's terms, that would be the equivalent of $200,000). Drawing on Roosevelt, politicians propose to restore progressivity to the U.S. tax structure by taxing earnings over $200,000 at a rate of 90%. Politicians claiming to represent America's battered middle class put forward a fair earnings proposal. The proposal attempts to correct for the inequalities of the market place. Under it, the earning of socially useful workers would be boosted while those of celebrities and top corporate executives would be lowered. A community rights movement sweeps the nation. Its proponents argue that capital should be subject to local controls rather than globally mobile. This way, capital will work in everyone's interest. Due: Post to WebBoard no later than midnight Thursday, Sept. 23.

Topic	Secession of the Successful
Overview	Reich writes about the secession of the successful as a process whereby the affluent uncouple themselves from the rest of society. The Kaplan chapter provides an illustration of how this process has unfolded in the St. Louis metropolitan area. What connections can be drawn between Kaplan and Reich's accounts?
Readings	Reich, 243-300 Reserve: Kaplan, "The Average American City" (Kaplan1.pdf) NOTE: You must have activated your FGCU student email/network account to access electronic reserves. You can do that at the Student Services web site. After activating your account, click on the links to the reserve articles and when prompted, use the following login and password: Login or user name: fgcu-student\FGCU student email user name Password: FGCU student email password
Activities and Assignments	In "The Average American City," Robert Kaplan takes the reader on a tour of metropolitan St. Louis. The tour can be broken down into the following components: 1. The suburbs (31-5) 2. University city (35-7) 3. North St. Louis (37-42) 4. Corporate downtown (42-45) The question for this week: how does each element of Kaplan's tour of downtown St. Louis reflect Reich's discussion of the secession of the successful? To answer this question successfully, you will have to apply Reich's arguments to Kaplan's discussion of St. Louis. Due: Post to WebBoard no later than midnight Thursday, Sept. 30.

Topic	The Role of Government
Overview	This section presents a debate on the role of government in contemporary society. According to many, globalization signifies a declining role for the state. Not at all, suggests the Economist. From its view, the state enjoys &endash; unfortunately - a robust future. Students should be able to identify the mechanisms through which the states in the industrialized world continue to grow. The Economist does not turn a cold shoulder to social problems, but advocates market based solutions to our problems. It also offers an ethical framework of understanding assessing the role of the state. Students should be able to grasp all of these points and relate them to the arguments that Reich makes. Now what about Reich? The arguments he makes in these articles are similar to the major thesis of his book. Deepening class divisions are leading to a secession of the successful and a consequent erosion of national purpose. Only now the argument is made from a different point in time &endash; the end of the 1990s rather than at their beginning. From this vantage point, Reich is able to provide an assessment of the Clinton's administration's failure to pursue a third way in American politics. He is also able to point to a continuation of the trends discussed in The Work of Nations. The need for a new social compact remains and the difficulty of implementing such as an agenda has become plain to see. In what sense do Reich and the Economist make conflicting claims? The Economist would undoubtedly see Reich's call for public investment as yet another stimulant to the relentless growth of the state. Reich would regard the Economist's advocacy of small government as yet another manifestation of the rich cutting short its obligations to the non-affluent. The debate between Reich and the Economist might be clarified if we think in terms of consequences. Can income inequality grow indefinitely without doing serious harm to American society? Can the growth of government spending continue indefinitely without doing serious harm to the American economy?
Readings	Economist, "Survey of the World Economy: The Future of the State" Reserve: Reich, "We Are All Third Wayers Now" (Reich1.pdf) Romer, "Egalitarian Strategies"
Activities and Assignments	Web activity: Pick two of the egalitarian strategies discussed in the Roemer article. Using all three of our sources for this week, develop the case for and against implementing these strategies. Conclude by articulating your own views on whether these strategies should be pursued. Due: Post to WebBoard no later than midnight Thursday, Oct. 7. First paragraph of mid-term essay due next Tuesday; rest due on Thursday, Oct. 14.