Tonight’s Shifting Landscapes program: *A Mixed Economy, *presented by Jeff Madrick. In tonight’s Shifting Landscapes program the author of *Invisible Americans: The Tragic Cost of Child Poverty* and a former New York Times economic journalist, Jeff Madrick will examine issues of childhood poverty including its conditions, causes and costs. He’ll discuss how he thinks the nation can eradicate it and why it should. According to Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy, the monthly child poverty rate increased from 12.1% in December 2021 to 17% in January 2022, the highest rate since the end of 2020. The 41% increase means 3.7 million *more* children are living in poverty. The recent increase is due to the expiration of the monthly Child Tax Credit payments. And 11.8% of households with children did not get enough to eat in October 2021, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
From the start of the pandemic to the inequities observed from the murder of George Floyd to the revelations about housing, healthcare, employment, and supply chain concerns, multiple economic topics have long been “hiding in plain view.” Shifting Landscapes considers three of these topics.
In these times of both tremendous upheaval and opportunity for transformation, Shifting Landscapes hopes exploring economic theories, past merits of a mixed economy, and how we might proceed in the future will help each of us consider how we might build an even more successful nation in the decade ahead. On April 11, political scientist Amy Lerman will explore how “good enough for government” moved from being a statement of excellence to disparagement. In the third and final session on April 18, political scientist Paul Pierson will trace the economic and political history of the United States over the last century. He’ll show how a viable mixed economy—where both government and business each have their own roles while also working collaboratively—has long been the dominant force of America’s prosperity. Economics is the sixth and final topic in the Shifting Landscapes series. Events are free, live or by Zoom. Tickets are not necessary, but registration is helpful. To register: mcdl.pub/sl-register. To simply join the Zoom presentation, go to http://mcdl.pub/SL-zoom. The link will be live about 6:45 pm this evening. A recording will be available later this week and a link will be sent to those that have registered. This project has been funded by grants from Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. -- Thomas Trahey Mason County District Library Head of Circulation 231-843-8465