1. What is the theory of social responsibilities that explains how Americans thought about social responsibility over the years?
2. The goal of the regressing right is always private profitability above all else, now these days since they don't make much money they are looting the public sector. Where do you see that happen? Give some examples.
3. Reich claims in his book that contrary to conservatives the size of government is not the issue. According to him what is the issue and why?
4. What was the "great switch" that reich terms the radical change in US tax policies in the last 30 years.
5. Reich says the system is rigged against regular people in the US, partly because while elites shoulder little risk (bailouts) middle and lower class individuals are faced with real risks. what are these risks?
6. Reich says we still have not learned the lesson of the great depression of the 1930s. what is that lesson?
7. While our political system suffers from political factors and flaws. Reich says that 1 factor above all is undermining democracy in America. What is this factor?
8. What are some of the major divisions and cleviges promoted by the regressive rights divide and conquer strategy?
9. Reich claims that despite the relatively high unemployment rate, jobs are not the main problem in our current economy. What is? Evidence and argument
10. Reich says that the regressive right repeats a number of big lies until people start to believe it. Pick any 2 and explain why they are not true.
11. Reich seems to believe in an old bumper sticker in the 1960s that read " if the people lead the leaders will follow " .what does he mean with this approach to reform and change?
12. Select any 3 of riches proposals for reform then briefly explain them, including whether or not you think they might be feasible or not.
13. Increasingly business and government are the only 2 institutions in our society that have enough wealth and power to accomplish important social and economic tasks. Why?
14. Reich says that the basic bargain underlying our economy has been broken. What was this basic bargain and how was it broken?
15. Strangely there seems to have been a concergeon political attack on the public sector in the last 30 years. Reich calls this " the decline of the public good" even extending to firefighters, police, schools, state universities etc. what is going on here?
16. What is the contagion effect? Why is it important?
17. In one of our handouts the author argues that whatever his other faults (which are many) at least Trump opened up a much needed debate. What is that debate?