MALS Book Club, Fall 2020
Kim Clausing's Open
The MALS alumni Book Club meets once a semester in the fall and spring terms to discuss a selected reading under the skillful guidance of a Reed faculty member. Along with an engaging conference, the Book Club is an opportunity to share interests with MALS alumni, prospective students, and faculty.
MALS Book Club Takes Up the Topic of Progressive Economics
After the 2016 election, many Americans clearly felt that the US economy just hadn’t delivered up to that point. As Dr. Kim Clausing, Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics, processed the fallout, she found herself centered on the nationalist rhetoric heavily used by both the right and the left to blame a litany of economic problems on immigration and trade. For Clausing, the answer was different—we shouldn’t be restricting trade; instead we should be addressing head on the woes of workers who have been left behind. According to Clausing, the real solutions had been left out of the conversation.
Clausing added her voice when she wrote Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital, published by Harvard University Press Reed College’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program hosted Clausing at its October 2020 MALS Book Club. Participants learned that we have many policy tools in our toolbox to help workers win; we’re just not using them. In her book, Clausing argues that if barriers and walls are not the answer, then public investments, a more progressive tax structure, and better relationships with the business community certainly are.
“You spent an evening discussing taxes?” a skeptical Reedie soul might ask. Indeed we did! With Clausing at the helm, the evening was anything but dry; it was rather an inspiring exploration of how to move our country forward. We, the participants, had many questions. What are the limits of national debt? According to Clausing, it depends. Is that debt being used to fund infrastructure or other programs that pay off later? If so, the debt is a helpful tool and now is certainly a good time to borrow. Clausing doesn’t recommend leveraging debt to provide payouts to the wealthiest tier of Americans. How do we tax and also prevent companies from moving their headquarters? Clausing directed us to other countries that struggle with the same problem, suggesting that there was plenty of room to work together and create unified regulations to achieve the same goal. Is it beneficial for our economy if Americans have more children or less? Here, participants engaged with each other over whether it was better to incentivize families to have fewer children by adjusting tax credits accordingly or if instead we should be providing more support for families with children— because after all, those children will eventually become workers who support a competitive economy. What are Clausing’s thoughts on the Green New Deal? Clausing is enthusiastically supportive of taxing carbon, as it makes better options, like wind and solar, the cheaper alternative.
It was easy to see how the discussion could have continued on for another hour, but it eventually came to an end. This participant left feeling a glimmer of hope hard to come by in today’s political climate.
—Rachel Gowland, MALS Special Student, October 2020