America’s Turning Point, A Trade Emergency, and More

1. The Remaking of America

In his latest column, Roosevelt Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz argues that 2017 could be remembered as a turning point in U.S. and world history as Donald Trump takes power and both the Republican and the Democratic Parties struggle to redefine themselves and their agendas for a new era.

2. A State of Emergency

Roosevelt Fellow Todd Tucker writes in Politico that while courts could try to intervene to block Trump’s trade plans, such as a 10 percent tariff on imports, the broad powers delegated to the presidency could allow Trump to declare the decline of American manufacturing a national emergency.

3. Fighting for the Franchise

The Intercept reports that Florida’s high court will consider a petition to allow a ballot referendum that could restore voting rights to people with felony convictions. Read more on this initiative from Roosevelter Carl Amritt, who has worked closely with Floridians for a Fair Democracy.

4. The Anti-Domination Approach

In a Washington Monthly review of Roosevelt Fellow K. Sabeel Rahman’s new book Democracy Against Domination, Kevin Carty writes that Rahman articulates a populism that serves as an alternative to laissez-faire libertarianism and moderate managerialism.

5. The New Sheriffs

At Vox, Matt Yglesias notes that while Trump is putting together a Wall Street-friendly team, House Republicans already have a detailed plan to weaken financial regulation. And as Roosevelt Fellow Mike Konczal tells him, that starts with depowering the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Financial Stability Oversight Council.

What We’re Reading:

In The New Republic, Richard Kahlenberg argues that progressives must fight to defend diversity under the Trump administration – and that includes broadening our definition to include economic diversity.

Event:

On January 23, join the Roosevelt Institute and the Center for Reproductive Rights for a discussion on the fight for women’s lives under the Trump administration, including how progressives will defend targets ranging from abortion access to Medicaid. RSVP here.