Against the Falling Tide: Working Families and the Economy

The Fifth Annual Henry Cohen Lecture

Featuring Jared Bernstein, senior fellow, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities and former executive director of the White House Task Force on the Middle Class.

As the impact of recession lingers, low-income and working-class Americans struggle against the economic tide. Wages are declining and employment is stagnant. The  2012 elections only add to the uncertainty. What are the economic prospects for working families in New York and around the country? An insider’s experience of White House strategy and policy debates helps us make sense of the last two years, the coming 12 months, and beyond.

The lecture was followed by a discussion with professors Dorian Warren of Columbia University/SIPA and Jeff Smith of Milano/The New School, and others.

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Established in 2006, The Henry Cohen Lecture focuses on public policy challenges and solutions for women, children, and families, particularly in impoverished urban settings. The Henry Cohen Professorship, which focuses on these same issues, is an endowed Chair. The Lecture and Professorship are named after the founding dean of both the Center and the Milano School, who served from 1965 to 1983.