Something to listen to this Sunday
My conversation with Gene Sperling
Dear Readers,
We share a lot of content with you through this newsletter. One essay that has stuck out for me from this year so far is Gene Sperling’s essay on “Economic Dignity” for Democracy Journal. It represents the kind of policy discussion I’ve always been interested in and tried to promote: one that does not substitute ideological principles for thinking about how policies actually affect people’s lives, but rather constantly reflects on whether various policy instruments are leading to human flourishing.
Here is how Gene sets up the essay:
Over the years, I have found myself stepping outside of the normal metrics that define our national economic dialogue to ask myself: What would a person on his or her death bed say mattered most in his or her economic life? That is the question that guides this essay. It seeks neither to explore highly technical issues of economic measurement nor sort out competing theories of social justice. It is rather one policymaker’s attempt to go out of the comfort zone of numbers to delve into this larger question.
At a moment when the very capacity of modern capitalism to avoid accelerating inequality, a hollowed-out middle class, structural poverty, and growing economic insecurity is being questioned—and even the role of work in a coming age of A.I. and robots is less certain—we should be stepping back to reflect on what is precisely the ultimate economic goal we aspire to. Simply put: If you live in times when major steps forward are needed, it is important to be clear on your destination—or at least to know the North Star that is guiding you.
My answer to the end goal question is what I will define as “economic dignity.”
I was thrilled to interview Gene about this essay for The Church Politics Podcast. A couple quick lines on Gene: He is the only person to direct the National Economic Council under two different Administrations and he served as a consultant for the television series The West Wing. As I say in the interview, Gene’s a true public servant.
He asks big questions in this essay, and I am really glad to have had the opportunity to explore these critical ideas with him further. This is a conversation I’d love to see take place in churches, small groups, non-profits and our kitchen tables.
I hope you enjoy the interview. While you’re there, you can subscribe for The Church Politics Podcast, and also stay tuned for the launch of The Faith & 2020 Podcast next month.
Have a great Sunday,
Michael
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