Can Washington Power Up American Inventiveness?

A New America Foundation/Washington Monthly event

Will the next economic recovery be a jobs-producing boom like the 1990s, or an employment bust, as many economists now fear? The answer will largely come down to the state of small business, the source of nearly all net job growth in the U.S. economy for decades.

So what can Washington do now to open up new opportunities for America's cutting-edge entrepreneurs? The answer is, plenty. In fact, it is at times of crisis that presidents have the most political leeway to make the bold moves that lead to future growth. Lincoln built the transcontinental railroad during the Civil War. FDR extended electric power throughout the nation in the midst of the Great Depression. These projects transformed American life, making possible huge gains in productivity and the creation of whole new industries. They were the platforms of growth in their day. It's time we built the platforms that are right for our day--from high-speed broadband to a universal health care system that gives entrepreneurs the safety net they need to take risks.

Please join the New America Foundation and Washington Monthly for a spirited conversation on innovative entrepreneurship

Participants

Featured Speakers
Robert Litan
Vice President for Research and Policy
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Senior Fellow in Economic Studies, Brookings Institute

Paul Glastris
Editor-in-Chief, Washington Monthly
Senior Fellow, New America Foundation

Mariah Blake
Editor, Washington Monthly

Moderator
David Gray
Director, Workforce and Family Program
New America Foundation