Welcome to our new weekly update! We hope this proves to be a useful forum for you to keep up with everything going on at NDN. To get this update via e-mail on Mondays, click here.
NDN ON THE STIMULUS
As President-elect Barack Obama discussed his economic recovery plan, NDN Globalization Chair Dr. Robert Shapiro argued that, in addition to unprecedented stimulus, we must address the underlying forces troubling the economy, including the incredibly weak housing market and the ailing financial sector:
The new Administration can address these challenges directly, as candidate Obama pledged to do with extraordinary foresight. For example, we can impose a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and use the time to renegotiate the terms of tens of thousands of distressed mortgages held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. One idea promoted by many economists is to convert those mortgages to 30-year fixed at 5.25 percent, which happens to be the long-term mean rate for Fannie and Freddie mortgages.
It won’t stop foreclosures, but it should bring down foreclosure rates to near-normal levels, which would do more to stabilize the financial system than the bailouts in the Bush Administration's own Wall Street version of tsunami stimulus. And some tough love from the new Treasury Secretary could help restart the lending process: having done what we can to stabilize the value of their portfolios, we should consider requiring institutions receiving federal aid to use a real share of that assistance to restart their lending.
Additionally, Melissa Merz and Jake Berliner took a look at the green jobs and green stimulus aspects of Obama's economic recovery plan. For more on the green stimulus, come to our event with Rep. Earl Blumenauer this Wednesday!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Clean Infrastructure: Transportation Policy for the 21st Century
Wednesday, January 14, 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Cannon House Office Building, Room 345
NDN's Green Project will host Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Chris Leinberger of the Brookings Institution, and Bob Peck of Jones Lang LaSalle in a discussion of policy options to create a clean, low-carbon transportation infrastructure, including ideas to be incorporated in the upcoming stimulus package and the 2009 Transportation Bill.
Click here for more information, and to RSVP, please click here.
IMMIGRATION UPDATE
To find out what's new in the world of immigration reform, be sure to check out Zuraya Tapia-Alfaro's weekly immigration update. This week, she speculates on what the debate over the economic stimulus could mean for immigration reform, and comments on the current Administration’s last-ditch effort to appear "tough" on immigration. She also looks at the potential impact on immigration reform from Gov. Kaine's appointment to DNC Chair, and continues to analyze the effect of our changing demographics on the political landscape, and the latest in the horror of hate crimes.
NATIONAL SERVICE & THE MILLENIAL GENERATION
Following on Gen. Colin Powell's call to national service last week, NDN fellows Morley Winograd and Mike Hais authored a short essay on the willingness and potential for the Millenial Generation to improve their country by rallying to public service. By asking us all to make a commitment to our cities, towns, and communities, Barack Obama is showing he understands that America has moved to a new era of public engagement, driven by the civic-mindedness of the Millenial Generation.
If you'd like to show your commitment to civic engagement by participating in the National Day of Service on Monday, January 19, click here to find an event, or here to get more information.
NEW TOOLS UPDATE
In this week's New Tools feature, Dan Boscov-Ellen explores how the development of mobile technology is changing the way Americans consume media and connect with others. The emergence of WiFi-capable phones, combined with ever-increasing WiFi penetration, means that more and more mobile users are able to access high-quality media on their devices. It also means that mobile phones are increasingly becoming the go-to devices for mobile Internet access.
For more on why mobile phones and Web video matter in politics and the world today, and how to use mobile technology and video to message more effectively, check out our New Politics Institute papers, Go Mobile Now and Reimagine Video.
NDN IN THE NEWS
Simon was quoted in the new cover story of New York Magazine, "A Party of One," on the unique character of this election and its implications for the future. The piece by John Heilemann echoes many of NDN's most important arguments:
Obama is difficult to pigeonhole not simply because he’s new but because of the newness of the moment that he—and we—inhabit. It’s a moment dominated by an economic crisis that’s shaken bedrock beliefs about the infallibility of free markets. A moment when a revised architecture of power is arising globally, challenging America’s status as an unrivaled superpower. When the networked age has finally arrived, inciting the implosion of the broadcast paradigm that governed politics in the Industrial Age. When the country is being transfigured demographically, hurtling toward becoming a majority-minority nation.
This crescendo of forces produced Obama, made his ascension possible. Now he has a chance to shape the new era, to leave his stamp on it. "This really is the first presidency of the 21st century," says Simon Rosenberg, head of the Democratic advocacy group NDN. "Those who try to hold on to twentieth-century descriptions of politics are going to be disappointed and frustrated by what’s about to emerge in the new administration, because American politics no longer fits into the old boxes—and neither does Obama. For better or worse, what he is doing is building a new box."
Simon was also quoted in The Washington Times, and his essay on the need for "Progress, Not Motion" was featured in The Hill.
Rob was quoted in The National Journal, Washington Post Global, and The Street, and received a great shout-out from Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne in ECommerce Journal.
Finally, new NDN fellows Morley Winograd and Mike Hais were featured in USA Today on the realigning character of this election.
NDN JOBS
CFO - NDN is seeking a CFO with four to five years of experience in financial management to direct and oversee all financial activities of the organization, including preparation of current financial reports and forecasts for economic trends and future growth. For more details, visit our jobs page or contact jobs@ndn.org for more information.
Winter and Spring Interns - NDN is looking for interns to join our staff this winter and spring. If you or someone you know is interested in working at NDN during this exciting time, visit our internships page or contact jobs@ndn.org.