Congress Should Pass Obama's Jobs Plan - Piece by Piece

Topics: Economics, Politics, U.S.

Public Release Date: October 25, 2011

For many Americans, unemployment is at the top of that list. In the face of a double-dip recession and an unprecedented long-term unemployment rate, President Obama unveiled the American Jobs Act before Congress. His plan? Lower the unemployment rate and stimulate the economy with $447 billion in employer tax breaks, jobless reintegration, state aid, and infrastructure projects, to be paid for with taxes on corporations and the wealthy. Will this plan bring a fast, effective boost to the job market, or will higher taxes punish job creators and sink us further into debt?

ARGUING YES:

• Cecelia Rouse: Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University

• Mark Zandi: Chief Economist of Moody’s Analytics

ARGUING NO:

• Richard Epstein: Professor of Law at New York University

• Daniel Mitchell: Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute

MODERATOR-IN-CHIEF:

• John Donvan: Emmy award-winning journalist