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Table of Contents

July/August 2009 (v20, n6)


Cover art by John Ritter Download Issue PDF By The American Prospect Staff Features Charm Offensive Dayo Olopade A long list of liberal groups worked to elect Obama. Now the administration is working overtime to make sure they stay happy. Hillary's Challenge Michelle Goldberg Our first feminist secretary of state sets out to prove that foreign policy works best when it makes women a priority. Latin America's Legalization Push Christopher Moraff South of the border, where drug violence has taken a serious toll, lawmakers are weighing their decriminalization options. The Last Drug Czar Eli Sanders Both Obama and his appointed leader of the war on drugs, Gil Kerlikowske, say they've had it with the military metaphors and are taking a new approach to America's substance abuse problem. The Shipping Point Harold Meyerson Wal-Mart and other discount retailers are exploiting workers in California warehouses. Can an organizing campaign make a difference? Special Report A Bridge to Somewhere Janneke Ratcliffe How do we build the road from predatory lending to good financial services for all Americans? Banks as Heroes Adam Serwer Community-development banks show what financial institutions can do when they have the right motivation and the right mission. Community Reinvestment: The Broader Agenda Mark A. Willis CRA has created a cadre of community-friendly bankers. It's time to bring reinvestment policy into the 21st century. Don't Blame the Community Reinvestment Act Ellen Seidman Homeownership rates and CRA enforcement soared in the 1990s, but sub-prime came later. CRA shouldn't be the scapegoat for the housing meltdown. Financial Product Safety Tamara Draut The case for a new agency to put the needs of consumers first Reforming Credit Robert Kuttner Our financial system needs to work for consumers at all income levels. A guide to the crisis, its causes, and cures. Regulation as Civic Empowerment Edmund Mierzwinski The policing of the financial system can't just be left to bureaucrats. Properly designed, regulation can be a community-organizing strategy. Reversing the Damage John Taylor What will it take to resume credit flows to low- and moderate-income neighborhoods? The Assault on the Black Middle Class Kai Wright Sub-prime lending was racially targeted and demolished decades of progress made by America's most diligent and striving people of color. How will America make amends? What Does Financial Capital Owe Society? Barry Zigas Corporate social responsibility is a worthy goal, but it's no substitute for regulation, subsidy, and government sponsorship of social institutions. When Creditors are Predators Tim Fernholz We need to regulate to assure that loans work -- and stop the loans that work people over.	Columns Perils of the Public Plan Paul Starr A badly designed public plan could turn out to be the opposite of what progressives intend. Race De-Baiting Dahlia Lithwick As Sotomayor's nomination has made evident, accusations of racism often obscure much deeper and more pressing questions about how our differences matter and how they should not. Testing Testing Dana Goldstein Beneath the feel-good press releases about national education standards lie unresolved policy differences. The Optimist Mark Schmitt By asserting that our institutions are capable of actually governing, Obama is, in effect, demanding that they do so. Culture & Books Cheap Thrills Noreen Malone Is buying more the way to economize? Clearly, this is not your grandmother's downturn. Do the Netroots Matter? Henry Farrell The progressive blogs and online networks have changed politics. But did they replace the media or win the 2008 election? Our Cherished Paradoxes Orlando Patterson American history is a series of clashes between personal freedom and societal order. Politics may be what holds us together. The Ultimate Bear Market Jeff Faux The uncouth bankers who brought down Bear Stearns make for an entertaining story. But the real responsibility for the crisis lies elsewhere. Departments A Scheme Out of Gas Matthew Yglesias Hawks are lobbying hard for a gasoline embargo against Iran. Too bad such a sanction just won't work. Marion's Moral Compass Adam Serwer The philandering former D.C. mayor leads a crusade against gay marriage. Noted The Editors Up Front The Editors

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