All in Politics

A Thanksgiving for American Democracy

A Thanksgiving for American Democracy

Theresa Montgomery
Op-Ed, Politics

This holiday, I’m going to give thanks for American democracy, no matter how badly damaged it might be. Because whether we’re stuck in the intransigent Dutch bureaucracies of the 17th century, demanding democratic rights during the American Revolution, or fighting Nazis in everyone’s favorite war, Americans have — many times over and again — overcome impossible odds, economic exploitation, and incompetent authoritarians, to bring the future screaming into the present.

Outcompeting Capitalism

Outcompeting Capitalism

Theresa Montgomery
Economics, Policy, Politics

So, let me pose you a hypothetical question: if we instituted a federal investment scheme for employee-owned startups to make them a major part of the economy, would the resulting reduction in the supply of skilled labor available to private firms cause all salaries to rise accordingly? Maybe it’s time to introduce a new gold standard, but for salaries, in which productivity and compensation are inherently linked.