Economic liberalism is under attack from the progressive left and the populist right. Both argue that free markets and limited government have been a disaster for typical workers and households, and for the nation as a whole. Michael Strain will present research showing that the doomsaying is wrong. Capitalism isn’t broken. The game isn’t rigged. Moreover, economic liberalism inculcates virtue--in individual citizens and society as a whole--and is a necessary complement to individual liberty. Michael Strain will discuss threats to liberalism, and policies to complement it.
Michael R. Strain is Director of Economic Policy Studies and Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He is the author of the recently published book, The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It), which examines longer-term economic outcomes for workers and households. An economist, his research has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and in policy journals, and he has edited two books on economics and public policy. Strain also writes frequently for popular audiences. His essays and op-eds have been published by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, among others. He is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He is frequently interviewed by major media outlets, speaks often to a variety of audiences, and has testified before Congress. Before joining AEI, he worked at the U.S. Census Bureau and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He holds a PhD from Cornell.
