Economic Dignity

By: Gene Sperling

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

“Timely and important.... It should be our North Star for the recovery and beyond.” (Hillary Clinton)

“Sperling makes a forceful case that only by speaking to matters of the spirit can liberals root their belief in economic justice in people’s deepest aspirations — in their sense of purpose and self-worth.” (The New York Times)

When Gene Sperling was in charge of coordinating economic policy in the Obama White House, he found himself surprised when serious people in Washington told him that the Obama focus on healthcare was a distraction because it was “not focused on the economy.” How, he asked, was the fear felt by millions of Americans of being one serious illness away from financial ruin not considered an economic issue? Too often, Sperling found that we measured economic success by metrics like GDP instead of whether the economy was succeeding in lifting up the sense of meaning, purpose, fulfillment, and security of people. 

In Economic Dignity, Sperling frames the way forward in a time of wrenching change and offers a vision of an economy whose guiding light is the promotion of dignity for all Americans.

©2020 Gene Sperling (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“Gene Sperling draws a compelling case for looking beyond the numbers to the nature and quality of work in the twenty-first century. His clear-eyed, sharp analysis demands a close read by policy makers and the rank and file alike. Economic Dignity shakes up static debates about education, tax policy, labor, and American values, and it should galvanize actors across the political spectrum to reexamine our common purpose. In turn, this thoughtful take reminds us of our capacity for progress when we put people at the center - and defend the dignity of all.” (Stacey Abrams) 

“In a time of ever more powerful technologies and growing economic uncertainty, we need to be clear on our values. Gene Sperling shows why economic dignity should be our end goal and provides a compelling program to bring it within the grasp of all Americans. Economic Dignity is a must-read for every policymaker, economist and citizen.” (Erik Brynjolfsson, professor at MIT and coauthor of The Second Machine Age) 

“Economic Dignity points us beyond our fixation on GDP to the ends economic policy should serve - promoting the dignity of work and the well-being of families and communities. Gene Sperling reconnects economics to moral and civic purpose and offers a framework for a much-needed debate about how to help those left behind by the winner-take-all economy of recent times. A healthy economy not only delivers the goods, he reminds us; it also provides the basis for mutual respect among citizens.” (Michael J. Sandel, author of What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets)