Globalization Initiative
NDN's Globalization Initiative was established to promote economic growth and restore broad-based prosperity in our globalized economy. Chaired by Dr. Robert Shapiro, Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs under President Bill Clinton, the program works to address the structural changes affecting the American and global economies. NDN argues that a "lost decade," marked by declining household incomes, remains the most important factor in the American economy and politics.
Our agenda for addressing the structural changes inherent in the era of globalization includes three key components: modernizing our healthcare and energy policies, investing in 21st century skills and infrastructure, and accelerating innovation across the economy. NDN also continues to play a major role in the debate over how to best manage the Great Recession and fosters dialogue around renewing the national consensus on global economic liberalization.
Papers and Memos
Written over a series of weeks in April 2010, this collection of four pieces lays out a new economic strategy for America that creates broad-based prosperity and addresses the America's great economic challenges in the era of globalization.
Tapping the Resources of America’s Community Colleges: 7/26/07: By Robert J. Shapiro
Young Americans are increasingly adept at working with computers, but many American workers still lack those skills. Here, we propose a direct new approach to giving U.S. workers the opportunity to develop those skills.
We believe that America needs to put a laptop in every backpack of every child. We need to commit to a date and grade certain: we suggest 2010 for every sixth grader.
The American people want the new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate to focus and pursue an aggressive strategy to help them and their families get ahead.
We believe that an agreement with Central America is so important to how Americans approach the 21st century that we must commit ourselves to help negotiate and pass a better CAFTA.
Major Events
Growing the Next Economy 12/7/11
On Wednesday, December 7th, NDN hosted the Director of Multi-State Initiatives in the Office of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and Karl Agne, a partner at GBA Strategies, for a lunchtime discussion about bottom up economic growth, accelerating the ideas that work, and creating the Next Economy. Joining us were
A Look at Current Global & Domestic Economic Challenges 7/26/11
On Tuesday, July 26th NDN hosted a morning conversation about the economic challenges facing America and the world featuring views from the United States Senate, House and the British House of Commons.
Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco J Sanchez at NDN 4/26/11
On Tuesday, April 26, NDN hosted Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco J Sanchez. Sanchez was joined by NDN Globalization Initiative Chair and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs Dr. Robert Shapiro.
National Economic Council Deputy Director Jason Furman on Winning the Future 2/22/11
Following the release of the President's budget, Jason Furman, the Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council joined NDN for a discussion of the budget, the economy, and the President's strategy to make America competitive in the global economy of the 21st century.
Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Robert Hormats on Global Economic Challenges 11/15/10
On November 15, NDN hosted Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs Robert Hormats for an important address on global economic challenges.
Blogs
Visit the Globalization Initiative blog for more of our ongoing work.
Visit Globalization Initiative Chair Robert Shapiro's blog.
Visit Globalization Initiative Deputy Policy Director Jake Berliner's blog.
Recent Work
As Dr. Shapiro explains in this week's blog, Obama's plan is not only more credible than Ryan's, but the President also has recast the choices facing Americans — raise taxes on the wealthy while investing in education and clean energy, or gut Medicare and Medicaid while cutting taxes on the wealthy.
In his latest blog, Rob Shapiro examines how big finance's legislative agenda — including a campaign to weaken a critical debit-card reform enacted last year that's about to go into effect — could cost many Americans as much as they have at stake in the ongoing squabbling over the 2011 budget.
In this week's blog, Rob Shapiro explains why bickering over the budget is counter-productive and what steps Congress and the administration can still take to address the real threats to American jobs and growth.
In part 2 of his blog this week, Rob Shapiro, explains how the intricate financial and trading relationship between the two countries now exposes America to serious economic costs.
In this week's blog, Rob Shapiro explains the economics of natural and man made disasters and comments on how the economic aftershocks of last week's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan may be unique for modern times.
In this week's blog, Rob Shapiro reviews the experts' scathing criticism of premature moves to reduce public spending and investment, and explains how policymaker’s misunderstanding of modern markets could doom the United States and Europe to another financial crisis down the road.
In this week's blog, Robert Shapiro explores the effects of the Federal Reserve's "quantitative easing" program and explains why the stimulus passed last December may be the most positive factor at work today – and why the last thing the economy needs this year is spending cuts.
This week’s budget battle is the first face-off between two different views of the why deficit reduction matters. Robert Shapiro explains in his blog what is necessary for both parties to do in order to make real progress on deficit reduction.
With the world's eyes watching the unrest in Egypt, Robert Shapiro examines how global forces helped drive the uprising and looks at the possible economic effects of the protests in Egypt and for the rest of the world.
