This excellent article by American University econ professor Jon Wisman lays out both the moral and practical case for guaranteed employment and government-sponsored training, or “re-skilling."

August 29, 2017—Putting certain categories of American workers "first" can result in sharply higher prices for consumers, as this Denver Post report illustrates. The dearth of Hispanic construction workers in Trump's immigrant-unfriendly America is already adding thousands to the cost of new home construction, with tariffs on Canadian lumber further increasing the final sales price of a new home. Finding the sweet spot between the competing interests of different sectors of the economy, including consumers—where the greatest good of the greatest number is our goal—is the hallmark activity of a mature social democracy. Robust programs to aid those subject to the crosswinds of economic disruption are key to the process.

August 25, 2017—Joan Williams, author of White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluenessless in America, argues in this Guardian opinion piece that the path to Democrat success lies through a compromise between the party's urban elites and white working-class voters who are struggling in the new economy.

Eduardo Porter, in this New York Times "Economic Scene" piece, offers critical insights into how Democrats can take back the nation. He argues for a focus on policies, like apprenticeships for high schools grads, living wages tied to regional cost-of-living indexes, and aid to small business formation, that will open doors of opportunity and rebuild a thriving middle class.

Writing in the Washington Post, columnist Catherine Rampell argues that a blanket $15 national minimum wage may well decrease employment prospects in lower-income areas of the country. Consider, $15 is higher than the median hourly wage in several states: these states enjoy much lower costs-of-living than coastal urban areas. The Social Democrat supports living wages pegged to regional housing costs.

Single-payer healthcare has become the quintessential issue for some on the Democratic left. Joshua Holland, fellow at the Nation Institute, argues in this Nation piece that there may be more realistic—and effective—paths to universal healthcare access.

In this refreshing piece of journalism from The Nation, author-journalist Ann Jones looks at the prospects for establishing single-payer healthcare, and other social democracy intitiatives, at the state level. The article takes an especial look at the candidature of Ben Jealous for Maryland governor.

Writing on the Social Europe website, Karin Pettersson (political editor-in-chief at Aftonbladet, Scandinavia’s biggest daily newspaper and visiting professor at Harvard) offers a trenchant evaluation of today’s economic imbalances and calls for a greater commitment to core social democratic principles.

41 million Americans work for less than $15 per hour: it is time that all who make our economy work be granted a respectable livelihood.

This Washington Post “Wonkblog” piece looks at the damage inflicted on real people by Kansas’s mean-spirited and intellectually bankrupt obsession with reducing taxes under Tea Party governor Sam Brownback.

After-school programs, which have been shown to improve outcomes in academic achievement, behavior and future success for the 1.1 million mostly low-income children they serve, are on Trump’s demolition list. Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and Emily McCan, CEO of Citizens Schools, make the necessary case for supporting them vigorously.

A prominent German economist considers the state of social democracy in the U.S.

Dynasties of wealth are repugnant to democracy, equal opportunity and the meritocratic ideal which supposedly stands at the heart of the American social contract. As such, The Social Democrat believes that wealth should not be passed on between generations. In this Guardian article, journalist Abi Wilkinson makes the case for a 100% inheritance tax to fund social needs.

Delaware Governor Jack Markell has spearheaded an effort to create employment-ready high school graduates, frontally attacking the “skills-mismatch” issue behind much of our unemployment.

This insightful New York Times op-ed piece looks at the increasing balkanization of America into a globalist, socially liberal camp and a Christian, “America-first” camp. The implications for building a solidaristic social democracy in America are profound.