From - April 11, 2014
The tug-of-political-war over economic inequality in the United States will play out on April 9-11 when some of the nation’s top economists, thought leaders, and policy makers gather at Kenyon for a conference on "The Politics of Economic Inequality."
The free, biennial conference hosted by the Kenyon Center for the Study of American Democracy (CSAD) promises insight and analysis on the vexing issue of economic inequality as seen from across the political spectrum.
Conference participants include, among others, Austan Goolsbee, former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors in the Obama Administration; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum and former director of the Congressional Budget Office; Robert Putnam, Harvard University professor and author of Bowling Alone; and Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress and former Hillary Clinton adviser.
“This is a topic of great significance to our nation and our economy, and we have invited a formidable lineup of practitioners and commentators to share their thoughts and debate the politics of economic inequality,” said Thomas Karako, CSAD director and assistant professor of political science. “We will examine equal opportunity, economic growth, health care, education policy, and the role of the free market in determining economic prosperity. We’ll look at the role of public commentary on the subject, and we’ll also take a global view.
“I’m delighted that this blue-ribbon lineup will be joining us. It’s a wonderful opportunity for Kenyon and for the community to participate in this important and timely policy discussion.”
The conference includes panel discussions and commentary over three days in Rosse Hall and the Gund Gallery Community Foundation Theater. The event is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. Here is a conference schedule with the roll call of participating experts:
- Wednesday, April 9, 7:30 p.m., Rosse Hall. Opening address by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former adviser to U.S. Sen. John McCain, on “Inequality and America.”
- Thursday, April 10. 9:15 a.m., Gund Gallery. Panel on “Public Policy and Inequality,” with William Galston, author, Brookings Institution senior fellow, and former policy advisor to President Bill Clinton and presidential candidates; Suzy Khimm, MSNBC.com reporter covering economic and domestic policy; Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Economic Policy Institute and former staff attorney in the House of Representatives; Scott Winship, fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.
- April 10, 11:10 a.m., Rosse Hall. Robert Putnam, author of 14 books and consultant to U.S. presidents, British prime ministers and the former president of France, will speak on “Inequality of Opportunity.”
- April 10, 1:15 p.m., Gund Gallery. Panel on “Global Perspectives on Inequality,” with Branko Milanovic, author and former World Bank lead economist; Charles Horner, author, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, and a member of the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush; and Ben White ’94, chief economic correspondent for Politico and renowned “Morning Money” columnist.
- April 10, 2:40 p.m., Gund Gallery. Panel on “Public Narratives about Inequality,” with Ross Douthat, author and New York Times columnist; Jim Tankersley, Washington Post economic policy reporter; Lizzie O’Leary, American Public Media Marketplace program host and reporter covering politics, policy and Wall Street.
- April 10, 4 p.m., Gund Gallery. Public reception.
- April 10, 7:30 p.m., Rosse Hall. Austan Goolsbee, professor of economics at the University of Chicago, Fulbright scholar, and formerly the youngest member of the Obama cabinet, will address “Inequality and the Market.”
- Friday, April 11, 9 a.m., Gund Gallery. Panel on “Capitalism and the Market,” with Amity Shlaes, author, Forbes columnist, and chairman and chief executive officer of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation, and John Tomasi, author, professor of political science and philosophy at Brown University, and founding director of the Political Theory Project at Brown.
- April 11, 10:30 a.m., Gund Gallery. Greg Moody, head of the Ohio Governor’s Office of Health Transformation, will discuss “Health Care and Inequality.”
- April 11, 11:30 a.m., Gund Gallery. Neera Tanden, former senior adviser for health reform at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and former director of domestic policy for the Obama-Biden campaign, will deliver the George L. Ohrstrom Jr. Lecture on Democracy on the topic “Rising Inequality: Where Do We Go from Here?”
To learn more about the conference, call 740-427-5423 or visit www.kenyon.edu/2014conference.
The conference is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Thomas W. Smith Foundation, the George L. Ohrstrom Jr. Foundation, the Earhart Foundation, Ariel Corporation, the Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County, Richard Grandin Shepherd Lecture in Economics Fund, Kenyon College Faculty Lectureships, Kenyon College Student Lectureships, and the Knox County Chamber of Commerce.