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Moving Americans Ahead: Bold Ideas for Shared Economic Recovery and Security

The Brief

We are grateful to all the individuals who took the time to prepare and participate in this series. Thank you to The Rockefeller Foundation for making this possible and the impetus to do something different.

During the fall of 2020, with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation, the Bipartisan Policy Center convened a series of unusual discussions. Unusual, at least, compared to typical Washington think tank fare.

Bringing together a variety of voices to generate ideas for addressing the massive challenges facing the country, the forum was a cross between TED Talks and Shark Tank. Pithy, idea-focused presentations followed by rigorous questioning and robust exchanges. Participants were asked to address difficult issues: racial equity, workforce challenges, measurement shortcomings. While our goal was creativity, what really struck us was the pragmatic nature of the ideas proposed—and the inherent optimism embedded within that pragmatism.

Those ideas have been summarized and collected in a new report released today, Moving Americans Ahead: Bold Ideas for Shared Economic Recovery and Security. Some of the ideas are starting points for further discussion; others are small steps that would catalyze policy development. Together, the presentations and discussions reflected in this document indicate that the enormity of our present challenges must not discourage us.

In the report’s foreword, Paul Romer asks, “Are we still capable of using evidence to come to a consensus about how to lay the foundation for a better future?” The TED-Shark process and results reaffirmed our confidence that the answer is a resounding “Yes.” Our challenges are tractable and addressable. The right structures for idea generation and discussion can help develop solutions that have bipartisan support. The issues discussed during these events appear to us to be promising areas of bipartisan progress.

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Unemployment Insurance Reform

The COVID-19 economic crisis forced tens of millions of Americans into unemployment. Whether permanent or temporary, it was a new experience for most. Many now recognize the need for modernization and reform across our public safety net. In a survey conducted last summer for Rockefeller and BPC, both Democratic and Republican respondents expressed high levels of support for unemployment insurance modernization.

The ability to smoothly navigate a bureaucracy and access benefits is not a left or right issue. Nobody enjoys filing for unemployment benefits but, if forced to do it, anyone would prefer a process that is as efficient as possible. Event participants pointed out that constant shifts in the workforce, particularly among contingent and domestic workers, underscore the need for reform.

For the foreseeable future, it seems likely that public support will still be needed for workers displaced through no fault of their own. Over the longer term, there is bipartisan interest in UI reforms that ensure the system efficiently serves its intended purpose.

Racial Equity

Unquestionably, the challenge of eliminating racial inequities has multiple dimensions that cannot always be addressed together. We have been encouraged in recent months by bipartisan interest in stronger support for early childhood programs and higher education that would help address persistent social and economic inequities.

Yet the challenge of racial inequity is daunting. It is widely recognized that the pandemic and resulting economic crisis had a disproportionate impact on Americans of color. In July 2020, BPC analysis of government data and our own survey with Morning Consult found large disparities in the ability to access unemployment benefits. While Black workers comprised, at the time, 16 percent of the unemployed, they made up just 9 percent of those receiving UI benefits. Further analysis found this to be due to gaps in UI approval rates. Total UI claims approval was 74 percent—yet just 58 percent for Blacks.

In our “Moving Americans Ahead” event on this topic, speakers identified better support for small businesses and use of alternative credit scores as ways to make headway in closing these and other racial disparities. Additionally, higher education was noted as an area for action, particularly stronger support for Historically Black College and Universities and the role they play in economic mobility.

Over the next several months, BPC will be pursuing our recent higher education recommendations. These include greater support for students struggling with debt and increasing capacity at HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions. Institutional viability is a key bipartisan concern as higher education funding is shaped by economic cycles.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Racial disparities can also be addressed by helping foster an environment of growth and opportunity for business owners. Small businesses were hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Even as the Paycheck Protection Program helped many businesses stay afloat, inequities in administration left business owners of color and women entrepreneurs at a disadvantage in receipt of funds. New business creation has so far rebounded strongly, but it’s too soon to tell if this is a temporary blip or permanent trend.

Lawmakers in both parties consistently hail small businesses as our economic “backbone” and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit. In 2021, public policy will need to move from emergency relief, such as PPP, to supporting growth and job creation. As indicated by the event “TEDs,” there are potential changes that could be made to support this shift.

Measurement and Data

It became clear during the event series that, while robust measurement has no real political constituency, data is the key currency for any sort of policy development or idea generation. The COVID-19 pandemic threw into sharp relief areas where official economic statistics were disconnected from economic reality—but we also saw new data collection programs started by government to fill gaps.

The BPC promotes evidence-based policymaking through better data, and event participants and others highlighted areas where new or enhanced indicators could bolster bipartisan policymaking.

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