Which of Shapiro's proposed policy reforms struck you as particularly important, creative, or compelling, and why? by Julianne Liebenguth

Universal pre-K

2024-01-19 18:44:10 UTC

"... Is a crucial tool for reducing policy and improving subsequent educational and economic outcomes, particularly among vulnerable youth” (207)

"Baby Bonds"

2024-01-19 18:44:16 UTC

A trust program to mitigate intergenerational barriers to wealth accumulation for low-income families and people of color

“IASP analysis of this ambitious policy suggests it could have a profound effect both on wealth accumulation and on the racial wealth gap among young adult households.” (p. 194)

"Depending on funding and participation, these accounts could reduce the racial wealth gap by about 20 to 80 percent, while raising the wealth levels of all groups."

(p. 194).

Collette- American Opportunity Tax Credit

2024-01-19 18:44:21 UTC

"credit for qualified education expense paid for an eligible student for the first four years of higher education, created in 2009 as part of the economic recovery package." page 210

"AOTC is more accessible because it is partially refundable credit, meaning that if the credit brings the amount of tax owned to zero, 40 percent of any remaining amount of the credit (up to $1,000) can be refunded." page 211

Strengthening Social Security

2024-01-19 18:45:29 UTC

Reia -- Social security is important for many people, but as it is now it will run out in 2034. If it is strengthened, it could be a really useful way to improve retirement benefits. pg 204-205

CSAs - Gabby

2024-01-19 18:47:27 UTC

"The ideal federal CSA policy would create lifelong, asset-building savings accounts at birth for every child, with more incentives for those who need them the most.. " pg. 211-212

Ending housing segregation/ Housing stability

2024-01-19 18:47:38 UTC

"Ensuring housing stability, then, must be centerpiece of transformative policy"

Federal job guarantee - Amelia

2024-01-19 18:51:12 UTC

"This ambitious reform would entitle people looking for jobs or with less than thirty-five hours per week of paid employment to perform work of public benefit at an enhanced minimum wage. This would replace unemployment and underemployment with paid employment for up to thirty-five hours per week." - pg. 202

Prior to reading Shapiro's work, I'd never heard of a federal job guarantee as a response to higher unemployment rates and decreasing wages. This is a strikingly different response than blaming unemployment and poverty on laziness, which is what I hear most commonly in political discourse.

Bipartisan Policy Center's Commission on Retirement Security and Personal Savings

2024-01-19 18:54:32 UTC

"These recommendations include an attempt to make the benefit formula more progressive, a basic minimum benefit designed to be more effective than the existing special minimum benefit, an enhances elderly survivors' benefit, and the continuation of survivors' benefits for students through age twenty-two" page 205